Not what it seems
by Jessiy Landroz
Summary: it starts with Sol and Axl, but is actually an Anji x Baiken fic! [Complete]
1. Default Chapter

Chapter One:

~*~*~*~*~*~

     Night time, summer time, and pass midnight. The moon was barely seen, mostly hidden by withdrawing dark-grey,  thunder-storm clouds. At a small abandoned cabin over a hillside, halfway rundown with creaking windows and many holes in the roof, moonlight seeping through them in strings of faint light, casting a shadow for anything that comes in their way. Rain drops dripped quietly to the floor, in small puddles scattered on the wet, broken wooden-slot floor. 

"Hatcho~!" Axl Low rubbed his wet nose, "Darn, I think I've caught a cold!" he told, two hands held his hair, squeezing it, water dripping on the wooden floor.

"Sadly, the wood is all wet or I could've made a campfire." Sol Badguy grumbled angrily, his Fire-Seal gripped tight in his hand while he crossed his arms over his chest, the hunter was all wet because of the earlier rainstorm as well. 

Sniffling, Axl rubbed his nose, "And I'm all wet." He whined.

"Wet yourself?" the hunter grinned, taunting. 

"No!" the blond youth shot, blushing. Axl sighed and then looked around the shambled cabin in hope to find a dry spot to sit.

Sol chuckled, sitting quietly on the only dry stool available among the ruins.

Axl suddenly stopped, his spine stiffened, "Uh Oh! I'm getting tingly!" 

Sol went bug eyed, practically jumping off his stool, comically using it as a shield against the blond youth, "Again?" 

     The portal abruptly opened and it slowly widened under the blond youth's feet, Axl was so freaked he jumped over the hunter and grabbed his leg, Sol freaked even more, throwing away the stool and threatening the youth not to pull him long, but too little too late. The time traveler and hunter were both pulled into the portal… 

     Falling on their soft behind, Sol growled and sent his knuckles to the boy's head before standing up, Axl stood up and felt his offended flesh, and head as well, the two were busy looking around their new surroundings. For starters, the place seemed familiar and everything seemed the same and everyone Sol knew was the same as he remembered, so what the hell changed? Did they time travel or simple switched places?

"Hey! Isn't this the Holy Order's main base in France?" the blond Sickle user asked, confused. 

"Sure looks like it." the bounty hunter growled, "C'mon, we'd better check if everyone is still here." 

"Wait for me, chief!" 

Sol scanned the ward and that's when he saw Ky Kiske walking his way, nose stuck in a report he was reading. 

"Hey! If it isn't old French fry! Got your nose stuck in a book again?" Sol taunted. 

"Huh?" Ky looked up at the hunter then arched a brow, "Oh, Sol! What are you doing here?" the youth frowned, "I thought you said you had a bounty to catch!" 

"Whatever…" the hunter shrugged. 

"And why on earth are you so darn wet?" the Frenchmen cried, "You've gotten the floor wet you idiot! Do you know how long it takes to get this placed waxed?" he scolded.

Sol snorted and was about to snap back when Axl cut in.

"Uh, got stuck in a summer drizzle!" Axl said, laughing nervously. 

"Axl Low?" Ky blinked and was just about to say something more when something else caught his attention, "Oh! Excuse me!" he told the two men and walked around them, the folder in his hands.  

     Sol and Axl followed the blond French youth with their gazes only to see that he was hurrying towards a man in an armored bodysuit with a crew of at-least thirty men following him. The man was not so tall; the suit was a mix between the Holy Order's blue-white uniform and a protective armor-bodysuit, and he wore a helmet that covered most of his face. 

     Ky approached the armored man and the man stopped, they both greeted each other, Ky spoke to the armored man and then handed him the file, the man accepted it, took a minute to read what was written and then told Ky something and the youth nodded, quickly heading back to the two men. 

"Sol, we have a new mission, are you ready?" 

"No! And who the hell was that?" the spiky haired hunter growled.

"Chief!" Axl warned, teeth gritted. 

"Sol you Idiot! That is Vice-President of the Holy Order's Communication Community, also the Commander of the Defense Unit and Head Leader of the Holy Order's Swat Team!" Ky informed, angry, "Don't you ever pay attention to anything these days? What's gotten into you?"

Sol snorted again and then walked towards the armored man, "We'll see about that."

     Sol strolled angrily towards the armored man, but when he got close enough, the crew surrounding him stopped and faced Sol, battle pose pretty obvious. Ky and Axl followed and tried to cool the hunter, but Ky panicked when the armored man turned and looked at the hunter, nothing but fine thin lips were visible from under the helmet, and that had Sol startled. 

"It's a **woman**?" he gawked at the red lipstick he saw on the lips. 

"Sir Kiske, I'm sure you have an explanation for this?" the woman spoke, clearly angry. 

"Yes, I do milady, and I'm very sorry!" Ky smiled, a poor attempt of explaining himself. 

"What's with the prissy attitude? Let me see your face!" Sol growled at her, fighting under Axl and Ky's restraining.

The woman snorted then lifted both her black-leather gloved hands to pull the helmet off. 

     Sol stared… glorious bloody red hair flowed down like a silken sash over her shoulders, her long forelock bangs framing her pale face, her lips so thin with the crimson color adding cuteness to her calm, solemn face. A lonely peach colored eye with beautiful black-eyelashes framing it, proving the elegance and femininity it possessed, her other eye was in pale pink-grey and scarred, a faintly visible jagged line running over it, staining her beauty. 

"**_Baiken?_**" Sol gawked, '_How the hell did she become a Vice-President?_' he thought. 

"That's Lady Baiken, Sol!" Ky snapped, "**_Please~_** remember that!" he begged. 

The redheaded woman looked at the hunter, "You're Sol Badguy?" she tilted her head with a faint smile, a smile Sol had never seen before, "I've heard much of you." She nodded.

The spiky haired man glared down at the shorter woman, "Oh really?" 

"**_…!_**"

"Lady Baiken!" a solider rushed in, so all turned to face him, startled, "I've just received info that Anji Mito had escaped the colony again, and he somehow retrieved the Zessen fans as well!" 

"Again?" she gasped, "**_OH!_**" she groaned angrily, comically her head started steaming, "That's **it!** I'm gonna nail his ass to the floor next time!" she growled, stomping her feet back to the main entrance, "Where was he last located?" 

"He was last seen about an hour ago, he is probably still in town." The messenger replied. 

"Lady Baiken," one of her swat team members called, "would you like us to send a search party?" 

"No thank you, Ace, I'll deal with that rascal myself." She told, "You boys can have the rest of the day off." With that, she left with the messenger. 

Sol and Axl stared at her until she left then they turned to look at the team. 

"Okay," Sol began, "I'm beginning to get the idea of where we went."

"Me too." The British blond replied, "Looks like Anji's causing trouble even now, huh?" 

"Meh, that four eyed geek had always been a sore thorn in my side, I'm just glad he's stuck with a dame he likes this time." The hunter smirked. 

"I beg your pardon!" the one named Ace frowned, walking closer to the hunter though he was a head shorter; "Lady Baiken is not the primitive type to get hunted by a runaway fugitive like that Mito." 

"Aw you're just sore cause she turned down your request for a date!" a blond man from the team taunted. 

"No she didn't! She was just- just- late in answering!" Ace told.    

"And what was her answer?" 

"Oh, I'm sorry Ace! I'm too busy chasing Mito's cute ass to go out on a date with you!" another blond mocked.

"Quit it!" Ace shot, blushing beat red.

Axl, Sol and Ky all blushed with sweat drops, '_So I'm not the only ones who tried to hit on her?_' they never knew they were sharing the same thought.

"Enough!" Ky shot, "May I remind you that Lady Baiken is very punctual, so you had better not stir anything up." The young French blond warned, "And take this as a warning," he grinned, "I still haven't told her about the missing tank." 

The Swat Team members widened their bug-eyes at the Knight. 

"You wouldn't dare!" a brown-headed man hissed. 

"Oh you know very well that I would!" Ky grinned, a grin as evil as Sol's!

Sol gained a sweat drop, '_Heck! The kid actually bounces back, huh?_' 

"Brat! If you dare, then that would ruin everything we worked for!" the first blond man hissed angrily. 

"Enough!" Ace cried, but his eyes were diverted to the main entrance, "Something happened to Lady Baiken! I can feel it!" 

"What?" Ky gasped, "What is it? What happened?" 

"What do you see, Ace?" the brown-haired man asked.

The youthful, brown-haired boy closed his honey-gold eyes and crossed his fingers, index and middle fingers flat against each other, concentrating. 

Silence was filling the place… 

"It is an ambush! The messenger was a fake and Lady Baiken was kidnapped by the Assassins Team!" Ace informed, "We have to hurry, they're boarding a black truck!" 

Sol stomped his foot, "How the hell do you know that?"

"Ace has psychic powers Sol, but this is no time to chat!" Ky informed, "Swat Team! Move out!" 

"Yes Sir!" the Team cried in unity, quickly rushing out of the building; Ky quickly followed.

Sol looked at Axl and the blond British youth shrugged and followed the Team, "Sh**…" Sol cursed and then followed.

~*~*~*~*~

"Uh… you goddamn, bit**ing, bastards!" Baiken hissed to herself, her armored bodysuit flexibly helping her beat up the enemies surrounding her with hand-to-hand combat since she had no weapon available. They were forcing her back into the opened doors of an old black truck. 

Venom, the leader of the assassins was standing quietly atop of the vehicle. "Save your breathe woman, resistance is futile."

"As futile as that stupid, old-fashioned fish-eyed wig you're wearing!" she shot back, never looking at him, her eyes fixed to the many assassin comrades surrounding her; the messenger grinning at her among them. '_Traitor…_' she hissed. 

"Sorry! Assassins pay more, and I don't get bi**-lead by a woman!" 

'_Humph…_' she snorted. 

"But there was something true," the messenger grinned. 

Venom tilted his head the tiniest bit, face hidden under his long silver hair. 

"What?" the redheaded leader glared, waiting. "What was true?"

"We have Anji in our grasp!" 

Baiken widened her lonely eye, not daring to gasp.

**BANG!**

     The redheaded woman gawked wide eyed as the messenger received a hole in his forehead, blood gushing out like a barrel with the cork pulled out. Red as wine, blood spilt on the concrete with a disgusting '_Splut__!_' and a dead blank face. Ears twitching, the woman jerked her head around to sneer up at the assassins leader, Venom only lowered his hand, a man at the side of the truck lowered his gun. A magnum, 6 mm! 

"That… was unnecessary…" she growled, fists clinched, face gone pale. 

"He talks too much…" the silver-haired leader said coldly and then swung his arm to the men, "Move, they're coming!" 

"Huh?" Baiken jerked around and back to the many men surrounding her, most of them were giving her creepy looks. 

"Let's go to town, boys!" a man laughed. 

"**_Gah_****_!_**" the redheaded woman gasped, a hit on the backside of her head was enough to knock her out cold. 

~*~*~*~*~

"**Halt!**" Ky cried, arriving at an old smelly ally where the black truck kicked up to high gear and the wheels screeched, the truck bolted off. 

The roaring of a motorcycle screeched as well, it stopped at the crew and that's when Ace looked at the blond Knight from under his helmet, "Get on, sir! Thunder-Bird can catch up to them." 

"Good!" Ky smiled and jumped on the bike, Ace handed him a helmet so the knight wore it, "Lets go!" 

Sol looked at the bike as it jolted away, Ky's uniform fluttering with the wind, "Some things sure have changed around here…" 

"Yeah…" Axl replied, "We're even dried up already!" the British blond wasn't paying any attention to the hunter; he was busy inspecting his now-dry clothes, "Wonder when this happened." 

Sol comically gained a vein pop, a karate-chop right on Axl's head, "Moron!!" 

"Ow~!" 

"Why the hell are we standing here doing nothing!" the blond from earlier shot, "To your vehicles, men!" 

"**_Yea!_**" the crew cried, quickly running back to the Holy Order's building. 

Axl looked at Sol and they both shrugged. 

A minute later, roaring motorcycles zoomed through the ally, a motor stopped at the hunter, "Hop on, Sir! We need to catch up on Sir. Kiske!" the earlier brown-haired man informed.

Sol grunted, "Fine, but I'm driving!" 

"Huh?" pushed back, Sol took the bike's control and zoomed forwards, "WHOA~!" the brown-headed man clutched to Sol's shoulders.

Axl gained a sweat drop and then looked at a redhead that stopped his bike near him, waiting, "I'll take the back seat, thank you." The redhead nodded, so Axl rod on it, now he was starting to catch up with Sol and the rest of the Team. 

     Sol grinned wide, the powerful speed of this bike amused him, it was fun! The wind pushing back his spiky hair, wind in his eyes, his prototype-brain began to function, locating the truck position, status and speed merely a few minutes away. His muscles pumped up and ready, hands twisting the handles to add more speed, bones literally shaking with excitement. Licking his lips, Sol held back the need to laugh, the heart of the solider behind him was beating 100 times a minute! 

"You know, if you over do it, the engine might explode!" the brown-headed man informed, slowly collecting his courage from the sudden, raged speed. 

"What? Are you scared?" Sol taunted, "If so then jump off!" 

"What? And leave my Angel with a road hog like you?" the youth cried, "Over my dead body! I spent twelve years of my life assembling this bike! Angel is tough but I need to get her a new heart, the old one is growing old." 

Sol laughed out loud, the black truck coming into sight, "You're such sissy, boy! Mothering a machine like that." 

"Boy?" the youth snarled, "Wears some glasses, stupid! I'm a girl!" She hissed, "One fourth of the Swat Team is formed of girls!" she paused, "And Angel is not just a machine! Why, we're practically sisters!"

"Heck?" Sol gaped, not daring to look back at her, now feeling her feminine hands slide up to hold his shoulder, standing in her seat, "Hey! Sit down, stupid!" 

"There is the truck!" she cried, few brown bangs fluttered with the forceful wind, "And the name is Sophie! Sophie Crafter!" 

"Yea, whatever," Sol muttered, "Sit down! This is gonna be a rough ride for you and your Angel!" the hunter lowered his head and kicked up to high speed. 

"Whoa~!" she gasped, sitting down quickly before the hunter threw her off. "Watch it! If anything happens to Angel, I swear it'll be your ass!" she threatened. 

"Whatever…" 

~*~*~*~*~

"Sir! The cops are gaining on us!" an ugly looking gangster with cuts and scars all over his face informed the man in the back side of the truck, "What should we do?" 

"Lose them." Coldly said the silver headed assassin, Venom sat on the floor of the inner side of the truck, he had his arm crossed over his tanned, bare chest, one leg was outstretched while he other knelt, his knee at the high of his chest; he lifted his head up and toward the two tiny, circular windows in the back of the truck, the sight of the motorcycle with Sol on it fairly catching up to them, "I see, so he had returned."  

"I thought he was out of town!" a man with an eye-patch next to the driver growled, "Sh**! We were double-crossed! Why those damn ninjas!" he pulled out a pair of nun-chucks, "Why I oughtta-!"

"Quite!" Venom ordered, his hidden face fixed to the back windows. 

     Venom spared a look at the unconscious woman; one of his men was holding her tight as if she was very dear to him, a thin line of blood was clear on her cherry-colored lips; a look of worry on the youth's face. The youth who held the redhead was about 20 or so, shoulder long, blond hair tied back with a sky-blue ribbon, brilliant blue eyes, he had just entered the Assassins' Guild, so basically, he was still just a rooky, inexperienced in real battle, this was his first one and he was already shaking. 

     Venom was a bit doubtful of letting him join in this mission in the first place, but the youth was persistent, it somehow reminded him of a very hateful woman he knew in the past, and those eyes! Those damn blue eyes, they resembled her so much! Venom had to look away to be able to cool himself down enough to concentrate back on the main mission, sparing a quick look at the blond and the redheaded woman.

Venom shook his head and then reached up a hand and pressed a little thing near his ear, "Plan B, commence!" he ordered. 

"Roger that." A static voice replied. 

~*~*~*~

"Damn!" Sol cursed, the truck was beginning to gust out black smoke, it was getting the scenery all fogged up. 

Sophie started coughing and then flung down her helmet, "Oh, God, that's better." She mused, reached back and flicked a small lock open, took out a helmet and then tapped on the hunter's shoulder, "Here, wear this before you chock to death!" 

Sol ignored. 

"Hey! Mister!" she called, "Are you listening." 

"There is another truck!"

"Huh?"

"Sh**!" Sol grunted, but that's when the smock started chocking him. 

"Hey! Wear this, hurry!" Sophie told, "It has a filter, it'll be easier to breathe." 

Sol paused, squinting his eyes, unable to see anything, he twisted a hand back and grabbed the helmet, popping it on, it took a minute before a smile of relaxation washed on his face, "Damn that's so much better!" 

"Yeah, wonderful, isn't it girl?" Sophie laughed, patting her bike. 

Sol was just about to taunt her when the bike roared on its own, "What the-?" 

"Easy girl!" the woman told, "We're on a mission! Don't go naughty on me, got it?" 

The bike roared again, freaking the hunter. 

"Hell? This bike has its own brain?" 

"Hell yeah! I didn't spend twelve years just to make on ordinary bike!" the woman laughed, "Pretty neat, huh?" ^_^

"Whatever…" the hunter muttered, "We gotta find the truck."

"The smock is clearing out!" Sophie told, "And there is the truck!" 

The bike sped up even more. 

"Wow! Hey! Stop this thing!" Sol cried. 

"Aw~ what's the matter? Are you scared?" 

"No you moron! That's a trick! The real truck turned left a corner back!" Sol shouted. 

"How do you know?" the woman asked, puzzled. 

"None of your business!" the hunter sneered.

"Feh… Angel, use your digital maps, how many old seventies style black trucks that are over legal speed can you locate?"

After a few beeps and glitches, the bike began to give out Morse code language. 

"Alright, we have five trucks! Three are about a mile ahead, stopped, and two are moving, one is this one ahead of us and one as a while back,"

The bike beeped again.

"Oh! The other truck stopped!" Sophie gasped. 

"Hell, it talks?" Sol gawked.

"I'm saving up money to buy her a new digital screen; it would make communicating with her easier." The brown headed girl told, "I've got a long way to go, I've even thought of giving her a voice and a memory bank, a black box if necessary, but I can't afford a good one." 

"Wow…" the hunter mused.

Sophie reached back and pulled out a talkie, "Hello! This is Angel! Thunder Bird, can you hear me?" 

Static buzzed, "This is Thunder Bird, repot Angel, what is you status?" 

"I am currently chasing a black truck identical to the accused one, but I've received info that there are five other identical ones scattered around town, I am at sector A-12 and the original target is heading towards sector A-15 twenty miles south east, but I'm loosing it, my radar isn't showing much, over!" 

"Roger that, Angel. Street-Shark is at that sector, contact him, I'll contact Sky-Dancer."

"Roger that! Over and out!" 

Sophie changed frequency while Sol maneuvered his way around to the real truck, following the Morse code Angel was giving him, '_Good thing I know Morse._' He muttered to himself. 

"Hello! This is Angel, Street-Shark, can you hear me?" 

"Oui! Street-Shark reporting, what is it, Angel?" a Frenchman replied. 

Sol's skin pin prickled, '_Damn! Another French fry…_' 

"Hatcho~!" a sneeze came, "Oh, excuse me," Street-Shark sniffled, "Uh, repot your position, Angel." 

"I am at sector A-12 and the truck is heading towards you, approximately twenty miles south east, now heading east towards section A-15, can you catch up to it?" 

"Roger that! Over and out." 

"Good luck!" 

~*~*~*~*~

"Who's Angel?" Axl asked the redhead he was riding with. 

"Angel is the code of the bike, that's probably Sophie's bike, mine is Street-Shark." The redhead smiled.

"You name your bikes?" 

"It's easier for undercover missions and if we're chasing anyone." The Frenchman replied.

"Oh…" Axl nodded, "Oh! There's the truck!" he pointed a head.

"Alright! Hold on!" 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Sir! We've lost Sol, but that damn brat, Kiske is on our tail!" the driver told. 

"Aw man, another bike is coming, too!" the one with the eye patch growled.

Venom uncrossed his arms and looked out the back windows, "I see…" he hissed, reached up a hand to stroke his silver crown, "It looks like plan B didn't work, we will simply jump to plan D then." 

"D already, sir?" the driver asked, eyes on the road, "It'll take a while before we reach that location." 

"Excuse me, sir." The blond rookie spoke. 

Venom turned to look at him, Baiken still unconscious in his arms. 

"If my memory doesn't fail me, I think there is a shortcut right down left at main street, if you take it, you'll be home free." 

"You're right, I remember that old alleyway, no one goes through it any more." The one with the eye patch mused, "Good thinking!" he tensed up suddenly, "Uh- but you're not as cleaver as the boss, though." He chuckled nervously.

"I see," Venom said coldly, "Boy, remind me, your name was?" 

"Raphael, sir." The blond, blue eyed youth replied. 

"Raphael… I see." Venom nodded once, "Follow his directions and let us see where it leads." 

"Well, it leads to an underground driveway that-"

"Uhh…" Baiken stirred, her lonely weary peach-colored eye looked up at the young boy, "Kiske?" 

Raphael blushed, "No, I'm not." He smiled a bit. 

"Lady Baiken, I am pleased that you have finally decided to join us." Venom said with the tiniest sign of mockery.

"You!" she said dizzily, "What do you want of me?" 

Raphael helped her sit up straight. 

"Nothing, but having a very important hostage is worth a while, no?" the silver-headed assassin told, "The Holy Order would currently pause until you have been returned," he informed, "and besides, I need you for a special mission." 

"Well I aint lending a hand if that's what you're asking." Baiken hissed.

"Two Japanese are better than one." Venom told. 

Baiken frowned, '_Anji…_' she whispered, pressed a hand to her temple and glared, "What do you have in mind?" 

Venom reached up a hand to fork back silken silver strands, revealing his evilly grinning face, brilliant blue eyes lazily looked at her, "You will soon find out." 

"Hold on! This is gonna be a though one!" the driver told and turned the car in a 90 degree turn, barely missing the lamp post at the corner. 

Venom lost balance and almost slammed into the side of the truck, his hair over his face again. 

Raphael grabbed Baiken shoulder and they were sitting so it was easier for them to stay upright.

"Watch it!" the one with the eye patch growled. 

"Hey! Don't blame me! You're too close to the window!" the driver hissed, "And besides! You're reactions are too slow!" he smirked.

"What!?!" the one with the eye patch pulled out his nun-chucks, "Dare say that again, you lummox?" 

"Who you calling a lummox, you jackass!" the driver hissed.

"**Enough!**" Venom shot angrily and both men literally turned white, paralyzed in fright, "Turn off the lights and drive quietly to the other side."

"Yes sir!" the driver mumbled. 

The truck drove into a dark alleyway, unseen since the lights were turned off as well. The Holy Order's Bikes zoomed pass them quickly. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: whatcha think? ^_^


	2. chapter two

=================

Chapter Two:

~*~*~*~*~*~

Holy Order's building, Ky's office. The Swat Team members, Sol, Axl and Ky were gathered up, discussing the situation… 

"Sh**! I can't believe were lost them!" Ace kicked the well fashioned wall; dark soot from his shoe remained on the wallpaper, "Oops!" 

Ky comically gained a sweat drop, "Er- I was going to change the wallpaper anyway." He waved a hand, "Anyway, for all we know, Lady Baiken had been kidnapped by the Assassins, the question is, why?" 

"I doubt it's for ransom, sir." The redhead from earlier spoke, "Why would they kidnap her Ladyship if it's just for ransom, I   mean there are many others that are more valuable than her when it comes to money, right?"

Ace shot the redhead a hatred glare, "What's that supposed to mean, Cobra?" 

"I mean that she's not just some girl that can be grabbed and demand a ransom for her return, they probably want something from her!" the redhead, known as Cobra, replied angrily, looking at the shorter brown-headed youth, "and stop barking at me, Ace."

"I'm not barking!" Ace shot back. 

"Hell you are." Sol chuckled, whipped the smile off his face then turned to Kiske, "By the way, French Fry, you said this shrimp is special?" he pocked a thumb at Ace.

"That's ACE!" the youth shouted, eyes wide and pupils into cat-slit, "Ace Damon, damnit!" 

The Swat Team scattered, fright washed over their faces. 

"N-Now Ace! Calm down!" Cobra chuckled fearfully, stuttering an apology. 

"Ace, please?" Sophie pleaded cutely, "Relax, okay?" 

Sol gained a sweat drop, strange powerful aura was surrounding the young brown-headed boy, "Freaky…" he said bluntly. 

Ace shot Sol a glare, "What did you say?" he hissed. 

"I said you look freaky!" Sol growled, "Wanna make something of it?" he put up a fist.

Ace's hair began to ruffle on its own; it slowly got the color of red, then morphed into orange, then yellow and then turned silver white, forming a flame-like hair style, his brown eyes turned into hued grey, a dark color of blue colored his ears, they morphed into a triangular shape, almost like a cat ear, and his fingers outstretched, his nails turned into long clawed talons, an angry snarl echoed through his chest. 

"Uh- Oh~!" Sophie whimpered, "Chase is at it again!" 

"But Lady Baiken isn't here!" Cobra stuttered, "What are we gonna do?" 

"Uh… beg for mercy?" Sophie suggested. 

Ace, now who is a demon known as Chase, howled so loud, all of Ky's glass ornaments shattered. 

Sol gained a bigger sweat drop, "Damn, now that's what I call _really_ freaky…" 

"Sol!" Axl yelled, "Stop making things worse!" 

"So much for mister Demon blood!" the earlier blond from before muttered. 

"Shut up, Cervantes!  It's not like you've done anything to help!" Sophie growled. 

"Gees! Sorry!" 

Chase howled loud and then rammed running out of the door on his four feet… 

"Aw Man! Not again!" Ky sighed, slapping his forehead. 

"What's gotten into him?" Sol growled, confused. 

"That was Ace's special ability." Sophie told, "He's originally Japanese with pure-demon blood." 

"He possesses special psychic powers and he turns crazy when his demon side takes over." Cobra continued. 

"And Lady Baiken is the only one who can cool him down." Cervantes shrugged. 

"There goes our reputation…" Cobra muttered.  

"Don't say that!" the girl slapped his shoulder. 

Axl stared, "Hey you guys, don't you think we should go after him?"

"Heh… if you're that eager to commit suicide, go ahead!" Cobra chuckled, arms crossed. 

"I don't know about you sissies, but I'm going." Sol hissed, "Who knows, he might be looking for your missing redhead."

"That **is** quite possible." Sophie pressed a finger to her chin, "Alright then, I'll go with you!" she smiled.

Sol muttered something to himself and walked ahead, so Sophie shrugged and followed. 

Axl looked at Ky, and the young Knight sighed and followed them as well. 

The Swat Team stood there for a while… 

"Sh**… guess we have no other way, huh?" Cobra and Cervantes cursed in unity before staring at each other. 

"What good is borrowing the tank if Lady Baiken isn't around?" the redhead muttered. 

"Beats me, I guess we have to get her if we really want it to happen." The blond shrugged. 

The team agreed and followed. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ah!" pushed into a cellar, Baiken balanced herself, trying her best not to fall face first, she slid on the dirty floor with a nasty clunk, luckily the armor she was wearing protected her from any injures, she sat up and then glared back at the closing door, catching almost nothing but the faint glimpse of Venom's silver hair as he walked away.

"_Cough!_ Uhh… glad you could make it…" a man spoke, soon followed but the sound of something dripping on the floor with a disgusting '_Splut!_' 

Recognizing the familiar, moaning voice, she turning her head around, the redheaded woman covered her mouth, suppressing a gasp, "Oh… Anji!" she stood and walked to his side, "Are you alive?" she asked, looking down at the weathered looking man. 

The weary man shed a tiny smile despite his beaten condition. 

     Anji Mito, a well known fugitive that's on the run, as much as he is supposedly a mature, well, full-grown man, he is more likely a spoiled little boy, always running off into danger and never listening to those in control, he just liked living his life on the edge, well… at lease that's what Baiken thought of him, but seeing him now as nothing but an almost dead man in the middle of a damp, dirty old cellar only made her feel like yelling at him. 

"I don't know if I should hit you or try to heal you." She sighed, her gloved hand caressing his injured face lovingly, "When I heard they had you, I was worried." 

"Worried that I'd get hurt?" he smiled, eager to know.

"No~" she began, smirking, "I was worried you'd annoy them so much they'd have to go to the last resort they have and actually and **shoot** you." She taunted, "You baka, what were you thinking running off like that? That's why Japanese like us are highly protected!" she told. 

"You're wrong." Anji began, "_Cough!_" blood gushed out of his mouth and a little droplet of goop crawled on his lips all the way down his chin like a little ugly red slug, "Uh… its people like me that are always locked up," He lightly frowned, "as for you, you already have your rights in freedom." 

Highly disgusted from the offending blood, also insulted from his last comment, Baiken drew back her hand and gave a face, "Anji, how hard have they beaten you?" 

"A hell lot, why?" he forced a grin.

"Baka!" Baiken glared, "How can you smile in a time like this? Do you even know what those people are going to do to us?" 

"I won't –_Cough!_- let them touch you." Anji glared; a serious face that freaked her.

"I can fend for myself you moron, it's you that you should worry about!" she told. 

"I'm fine!" the man pushed himself, sitting up, but then he coughed a few.

"Anji?" worried, the woman sat besides him, "You should stay still, we don't know how bad your injuries are." She soothed. 

Looking at her with teary eyes, the Asian dancer nodded with a comforting smile, "I'm fine, really." He told, "I just got dust in my throat, that's all!" 

The woman stared, sighed and then sat with her back to the wall, arms crossed. 

Anji sighed as well and leaned his back to the wall, staring blankly at the ceiling.

It took a moment… 

"What do you think they're going to do to us?" Anji asked quietly, turning his head a bit to look at her. 

The woman shrugged, "I doubt they want ransom." She began, "Their leader, Venom, said something about asking me to do something for him." She told, "I just don't know what's going to happen if I said no, they're probably going to use you to put pressure on me." She looked at the dancer. 

"Well, you know them better than I do, so maybe that's exactly what they'll do." The dancer looked at the ceiling.

"That's pretty much it." She shook her head, reached a hand back and pulled her hair, toying with the end of her crimson bangs, "Damn! Split ends!" she muttered. 

Anji looked down at her and smiled, "Forgot to fix it today?" 

"Ha ha, not funny." She muttered, "Shut up before I hurt you." She glared. 

"Er- sure! Right! I know better than to insult a woman's crown!" he eyed away, "But I do like your hair, though." He dropped his gaze to his feet, faintly blushing. 

The woman pouted, "You always say that…" she began curling her hair into a bun and then fixed it so it won't go loose. 

"Well, it's not as shiny as always, are you feeling well?" he asked, "I read once that the glitterier it is the more it shows a woman's true health condition." 

The redhead twitched, lightly blushing, "I'm fine…" she growled and then crossed her arms, looking away.

The dancer blushed a bit, "You're not wearing your armor today, are you?" 

"Hn?" looking down at her chest, the woman realized that her torso armor was missing, "Damn it! Those morons must've taken it." She crossed her arms over her chest, blushing, the redheaded woman wore nothing under the armor but a simple turtle-neck suit, it was made of leather but hardly providing any protection. 

The ebony-haired man smiled and scratched his head, "Sure is taking them long…"    

"Who?" 

"The assassins! What do you think they're doing right now?" 

"Bah… probably studying some plan of how to kill us or something." The woman pouted, her arms hugging her knees to her chest, "I miss my morning coffee."

"I have my fans, do they count?" Anji grinned, pulling his fans from under his sleeves. 

The redheaded woman blinked at the fans, "You just don't know when to quit, do you?" she knotted her brows, halfheartedly smiling. 

Anji grinned wider then pulled himself up, standing despite the horrible kinks in his back, "It's better than sitting on my butt doing nothing." He smiled down at her and reached down a hand.

Accepting his hand, the man pulled her up, "So what are you going to do exactly?" 

"The only thing I can do," he walked towards the door, "Dragon Chariot!" he smiled. 

"Do you have enough tension?" she asked, "Because I know I don't, I'm beat." She sighed. 

The man knelt down and turned his hands back, "Get on."

"HUH?" blushing beat red, the woman shook her hear violently, "No- Way! What would the guys think if they saw me on your back?" she cried, "It'd be humiliating!" 

Anji paused, seemingly hurt. 

The woman eased her frown, stared about the room, averting his now stern gaze. 

It went quiet for a while… 

The woman sighed and hesitantly perched herself on his back, blushing beat red, "If you grope me I swear I'll-"

"I wouldn't go that far." The man laughed, hoisting himself up, the redhead on his back, "Ready?" 

Her arms curled around his neck, blinking, "Um, are you sure you can do this?" she asked, "I mean… aren't I- even just a little bit- heavy?" 

The man paused, lightly blushing, he was going to answer but smothered it with a laugh and shook his head, he sheathed his hand in his long sleeve and took out a fan, playfully hitting the head of the fan on his forehead, "Ready?"

She bit her bottom lip and nodded. 

      Taking a step back, the man closed his eyes and frowned, concentrating on his needed summon, the redheaded woman blinked twice when the blue power erupted from the fan and engulfed them both in a giant ball of light, it was as if they were as light as feathered, something almost inhuman picked her up as if the man had vanished and she found herself sitting on something huge, blue-white with a magnificent, earth shaking, sky shattering roar, widening her lonely eye when the light faded, the woman looked down at what she was sitting on.  

     The Dragon was enormous, white blue and with a silken figure, she caressed her hand on the silken beast, it was as if she was running her fingers through an extremely fluffy thing. Suppressing a smile, the woman looked around her surroundings to realize that the prison no longer bounds them; they were up high in the sky and flying! Her other hand was still linked to something fleshy, bare and warm with cuts, scars and bruises. 

"Cool, eh?" Anji chuckled, cross-legged, blushing and fanning himself while the woman still perched her arm on his neck.

Baiken slowly drew her arm off him and huffed, "Heights make my edgy." She muttered, scooting a bit closer to his body, her arms making their way under his arms, her hands flat on his breasts while her head rested on his spine. 

If Anji was a statue, he would have crumbled. Feeling her hand right there on his chest made his heart pound so hard it hurt, "Uh… destination?" he managed to whisper, his eyes were fixed on the woman's hands where they rested on his chest.

Baiken was going to answer, that's when she noted how red his earlobes were, she smirked, her head on his back, she was able to read his reaction and the speed of his heartbeats was amusing her, "Hnn… I don't know." She purred, nuzzling his shoulder blades, "I don't recognize anything, we're probably out of town or something."  

Eyes wide, jaws seemingly dislocated, brain shrieking '_System over heat!_' Anji almost disengaged his Dragon, "Ah…" he breathed, hardly with enough brain had he tried to collect himself. 

The woman smiled even wider and pressed herself even more, "hnn…" she purred again.

'_Compose yourself, Damn it!_' the dancer cried to himself, '_I have to land this thing, **Now!**_' he looked around and found an empty street in an old dark alleyway, so he soared right down, "Hold on!" he managed to tell her. 

The woman hugged him tight, readying for the seemingly rough landing. 

     About five feet about grown, the Dragon exploded into white smoke, sending the two rolling on the concrete street. Rolling and rolling, Anji grabbed the woman and tried to ease the fall, thankfully the impact wasn't all bad; they crashed into a bunch of empty cardboard boxes. Dust and smoke went up, but nether one of them moved for a minute… 

~*~*~*~*~

Back at the Assassins: 

"I see…" Venom said; a remote in hand, he clicked a button and the screen on the TV showed Anji, with Baiken on his back, summoning his Dragon in slow motion, from the minute the dancer placed the fan on his head till the point where the giant beast crashed through the door and blasted most of the walls. The leader was watching the summoning frame by frame, "Raphael, can you utilize the tape? I'd like to see just how he did that." 

"Yes sir, I'll do my best to give you all the results." The blond, blue eyed youth nodded. 

The man with the eye patch took the tape from the VCR and gave it to the youth, "Make a copy while you're at it." 

The young nodded, "As you wish." He took it and left the room. 

"Well he looks trustworthy to me," the one who drove the truck told, "don't you think, boss?" 

"Shut up! If the boss has an opinion, he'll give it to you." The one with the eye patch snarled. 

"Meh…" the other man frowned, angry. 

"Enough…" Venom ordered quietly, he raised a hand, placing the remote down, "That boy had just begun, he did not see anything so we still cannot say if he is trust worthy or not." Their leader crossed his fingers, cross legged, sitting on a leather chair in front of a huge screen. "He resembles her in so many ways, it worries me." 

"Should we finish him off, sir?" the one with the eye patch asked. 

"No…let him live…" the silver-headed man told, uncrossed his fingers and forked back his silver hair, revealing his face, his brilliant blue eyes looked out at the two men, "Listen, I want you two to go to the investigating team, find out what they got so far on project Z.O.E." 

"Yes sir." Both men nodded and quickly left.

Venom released his hair and leaned back on his chair, eyes closed, remembering…  

     '_You're good! You shouldn't let that go to waste, you know._' A man named Zato told him, a clear Mexican accent clear in his words, '_Now, how about you come with me? I'm sure we can work something out for you._' He smiled, a blond, blind man, wearing a strange black suit reached down, wanting to help him. A little, cold featured, blond girl with strange long blond hair looked at him with an expressionless face. 

     '_That day, you saved me from death even thought you didn't even know me…_' brilliant blue eyes flashed from between drape of silver hair. '_You died, before I got the chance to thank you…_' pushing himself off the chair, the leader of the assassins crossed his hands behind his back, looking outside through a black, shaded window at the far side of the room, '_I will find you, Zato-One, Eddie, whoever you are, be sure that I will find you… even at the cost of my life._' 

~*~*~*~*~

     Tired eyes scanned the area, the uniform of the Holy Orders fluttered lightly when the sound of an impact caught his ears. Ace, now calm again in his human state, blinked beyond a building where smoke went up as if something crashed, with a frown; he hurried towards it, worried and curious. 

     In front of a huge, dark old building, probably some company that's closing, there were many scattered cardboard boxes all around, looks like a car rammed them and ran or something… that was until the young man noted that a box began to move, roll over and land near him, a figure rose slowly with dust hovering around. 

"_Cough! Cough!_" ebony-black hair ruffled up, tired chocolate brown eyes hazily scanned around, "Huh…?"

"Damn it…" a woman voice cursed, "Do you have authorization to drive that thing?" she growled, pushing a box from atop of her, sitting up with her hair over her face, looking annoyed. 

"No, not really." The man laughed. 

"Lady Baiken!" a youthful man cried, sound of hard shoes clunk on concrete was getting stronger the more he got closer. 

"Ace?" the redheaded woman blinked, "How- What are you doing here?" she asked, pulling herself up and dusting her clothes. 

Anji looked at the youth while he helped the woman, and himself, climb down from the rubble of boxes, "You know him?"

"Uh, Yeah." She nodded, "Anji, this is Ace, he's one of my men." She explained. 

"From the swat team?" the dancer blinked, looked at the woman then back at the youth, "Um, don't you think he's a little young?" 

"So? Kiske became a member when he was only 16!" the woman huffed. 

Ace looked at the dancer, frowned then looked at the redheaded woman "Um, are you alright milady?" 

"Oh, I'm fine." She smiled, "But you don't look so good, what happened?" 

Ace took a good look at himself, his sleeves were tattered and his uniform was smudged up with dirt and soot of some sort, something like chimney smock? 

Anji took a deep breath, "Well, I think we should head back now, I could use a rest in a colony right about now." He forced a grin. 

Baiken smiled back, "Oh you're not getting off that easy!" she crossed her arms, "You were such a bad boy, I'm sending you to the disciplinary colony." 

"WHAT?" the dancer leaped ten feet back, "You wouldn't!" 

"You bet your sorry ass I will!" she thundered. 

"Well then, in that case I'm outta here!" he reached in to get his fans out, "Bye~!" 

"…" 

"HEY!" the dancer cried, "Where are my fans?" he flipped himself over, comically searching. 

"Oh, you mean these?" the woman giggled, toying with the mentioned fans in her hands. 

"Aw Man~!" Anji whined, defeated. 

Ace stifled a laugh, "Tough luck buddy." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that night… 

Location: Holy Order, Baiken's office. 

"Oh, you sent him to that colony?" Cervantes gained a sweat drop, "Sorry bastard, I feel sorry for him." 

"Me too…" Cobra nodded. 

"Would you two just shut up?" Baiken growled. 

Ace plopped on the couch, a deep exhausted sigh uttered. 

Sol looked at the weary looking woman as she rubbed a piece of clothe over her armor, cleaning it, "So, what did those guys want with you?" 

The redhead looked at the hunter, "Don't know." She shrugged.

Axl looked at Ace, turned to the woman and then at the others, "Hey, is this guy safe?"

Baiken turned to the now sleeping Ace and smiled widely, "Give a rest, Anji wore him out just by dragging him here." She told, "Besides, now that you guys told me he flipped again he must've lost half his stamina just jumping from one roof to the other when he was a demon." She concluded. 

"Freaky kid." Sol smirked. 

"Lady Baiken," Ky began, "if I may ask, did those people do anything?"

"No, though their leader wanted something from me," she frowned, lightly blushing, "he took my vest armor." 

"What?" the young blond Knight frowned, "That vest is made of special neo-bionic elements designed for the members of the Holy Orders only." He explained, "If they can utilize it, they might become invincible." 

"Yeah! They'd be as strong as us!" Cobra frowned, "But that means they'll have to do something about the bugs, right?" 

"I doubt it, that anti-gravity bug was a pain in the ass anyway." Cervantes told. 

"But if they can conjure, develop, or even remove the bugs, we're in trouble!" Sophie frowned, "Milady!" she called, urgently wanting an answer. 

"…" Baiken rubbed her head, "I know, I know! I have to report this to Sir Kliff." 

"This isn't good." Sol growled, "Those bio-genetic tissues are usually found only in Geer tissues, most Command Type Gears have that in their communicating systems and body suits." 

Axl blinked, "Wow! How'd you know that?" 

Ky slightly glared. 

Sol comically gained a sweat drop, "Er- None of your business." 

Baiken blinked, "That was- concealed information, Sol." She glared, "How did you learn of it?" 

"I have my ways." The hunter said highly. 

Ky shook his head, "I beg your pardon, Milady, but Sol used to be an ex-Knight so he might have a few strings here and there that we don't know of." The blond youth glared the hunter in a usual look of hare. 

Sol only took that as a complement and grinned. 

'_A perfect spy, huh?_' she thought to herself.

Sophie sighed, "It's really getting late, we all should be heading back home." 

"It is my shift tonight." Cobra smiled, "You mugs go home already." He waved a hand. 

"Ahem…" Baiken tapped her foot, arms crossed, frowning. 

"Er~! I was talking about the other, Milady!" chuckling nervously, Cobra received a knuckle sandwich right on the noggin, "Ouchie!" 

Sol only watched, and clearly enough, Axl wasn't going to send them back home to their own time any time soon. 

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Owari~! @_@


	3. chapter three

Chapter Three: 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

     Venom forked his fingers through his silver hair, thinking. Things were going according to plan, bit somehow, something just didn't feel right, as much as he needed the redheaded leader woman, he wholeheartedly could not harm her, but he had to show authority. '_What is this I'm feeling?_' brilliant, sad, blue eyes hazed, lost in thought.

_Clink! _

     Pulled back to focus, Venom turned to the open window once more, a shadowed figure leaped into the room, silent as the assassin himself. Venom glared the intruder, not calling for help nor hesitating, quickly pulling out two sticks from behind his back, clicked them together forming his pool-stick. 

Silver hair danced, draping bloody red eyes, "Venom, I presume?" the quiet assassin spoke, a bright red, yet a bit tattered scarf war wrapped around his neck.

"Identify yourself, fiend." Venom hissed back, ready for a fight, if he had to take it. 

"Chipp Zanuff, the head leader of the hidden White-Dragon assassination clan." The man said coldly, "I am here to speak with this man they call Venom." 

"That is I." the tanned man rasped back in an even colder tone. "Speak your purpose." 

The ninja glared coldly, "I see." He snorted, "One of my men was short late this afternoon, I was informed that it was by one of your men!" the ninja asked curtly, "What do you have to say about it?" 

"You misinformed us of a man named Sol Badguy," Venom began, relaxing the tiniest bit, "we were informed by your men that he was out of town, and we took that for grant, but in the middle of our affairs, he appeared." 

The ninja glared, "Then you shouldn't have been too careless!" he taunted, "Just because we told him something we gathered ourselves, it does not mean it would stay like that forever!" the ninja tilted his head the tiniest bit, "You should've went after our information, should you not?" 

The assassin paused, "I guess we relayed too much on the information, how careless of us." The tanned man shook his head, "I am sorry for the loss of your clan, I'll be sure my men do nothing of that again." 

The ninja glared, "You think a simple f***ing apology would bring back his life?" the ninja shouted, stomping a foot to the floor, yelling out loud for the whole world to hear, "He was just a child, you mongrels!"

"Child?" Venom's voice rasped, "I was not informed of that what so ever." 

"Oh? And you call yourself a leader? I bet you don't even know the names of your mob!" the ninja spat back. 

Venom stayed quiet. 

All of a sudden, the door burst open, the man with the eye-patch came rushing in, a huge magnum in hand, "**Die!**" he cried and shot at the ninja till the gun started clicking, empty. 

"Fool!" Venom cried, thwacking the man with his pool-stick. 

It took a single leap to dodge all the bullets and the ninja crouched at the window, "Don't think it's over so easy, an eye for an eye, you hear?" he then vanished, like a leaf blown by the wind. 

"Sh**!" the man with the eye-patch hissed, turned to the silver headed leader and paused, "Are you alright, sir?"

Venom stared at the window, "Gather up the men, I want to tell an announcement." 

"Sir?"

"**Now!**" the leader turned to face the other man, a single brilliant blue orb staring coldly at the man with the eye-patch.

"Y- Yes sir!" the man ran out.

~*~*~*~*~

"Feh…" Anji rubbed his forearm with bubbly shampoo, sitting till his waist in hot water, "Women are so scary, it's a mystery why we even stalk them." He mumbled to himself, being completely ignored was good for once, especially if he was in a Japanese disciplinary –military!- colony, being treated like a soldier was tough! But thankfully, it was night by then so he missed the day's training, '_Thank God!_' he sighed to himself. 

     Stepping out of the hot tub, the ebony-haired man wrapped himself with a towel and headed to the locker room, there, only a few men were chatting, and to the dancer's view point, they looked more like yakuza people, not bad-ass boys. For all Anji knew, some were sent here for being caught peeping on women too many times in a row! Shrugging it off, the dancer walked up to his locker, it was right behind two chatting men.

"Damn, how long do we have to stay in this bird cage? I can't take this training anymore!" a voice whined. 

"Bare with it, we still need to figure out how many holes are in this place, first!" another voice told. 

Anji perked his head, interested, silently listening. 

"Yeah, we need to figure out the holes if we're gonna make this place our base." The first voice mumbled, "But this is taking too much, I'm sick and tired of waiting!" 

"Me too." The other voice hissed, "But at least you were sent here by that pretty redhead! Me? I got stuck with a snotty French brat! I mean the insult!" 

     Anji quietly slipped on his slacks, but the closet's door creaked when he pulled on the sleeveless shirt that hung inside. Petrified, he could practically feel the two men's eyes look right through the metal, seeing him. A second passed before hasty feet walked away around to him. 

"Who's there?" one man shouted, freighting, looking angry, a knife in hand. The man was tall and built up, looking like a wrestler ready to rumble. 

"Who is it?" the other asked, following, he looked into the ward with one half closed closet available. 

Teeth gritted, the larger man walked quietly towards the closed, knife ready. 

_Skip a heartbeat!_

"Who?" the smaller man walked and took a look into the closed, "Whoa~!" he grinned wide, there was a naughty poster in the inner side of the closet, but not too naughty –yeah right!- just a woman in a skimpy bikini!

"Hnn…" growling to himself, the larger man looked around. 

"What is it?" 

"I'm sure I heard something…" the large man growled. 

_Squeak! _

"Huh?" both men twisted around to see a little white mouse.

The smaller man blinked, "Must've been that rat!" he told the larger man, "Anyway, let's go back to the bedrooms before the guards come, I hate those guys!" 

"Yeah… maybe." The larger man hid the knife in his slacks than shot a glare at the woman poster, "Cheep trash…" he mumbled and then walked out. 

The smaller man shrugged and then silently followed.

     The little white mouse sniffled around, then it's bright red eyes sniffled the half open door before looking up, staring clueless at an ebony-haired man hanging upside down with his face gone blue, the little albino creature sniffled a bit more, still fixing it's eyes at the human acting so strangely. 

"Gah~!" loosing grip, Anji fell right on his back, a fall threatening to crack his neck!

The mouse flinched, curious yet still careful. 

"Ow~!" Anji rubbed his hurt neck and then blinked at the little white creature, smiled and laughed, "Oh, I'm sorry little fella, didn't mean to scare you." He felt the kinks in his back and then got up, brushing his spine. 

The little white mouse relaxed a bit, now sniffling at the dancer's feet. 

Anji looked down at it again and then smiled wider, "Say, you're kind of cute! All white and-?" the smile faded, brows knotted, "Wait a second, you're a lab mouse, aren't you?" he crouched down and had a good look at it. 

The mouse tilted its head a bit, clearly not understanding what this black-haired human is saying. 

Anji carefully reached down to it, and it let him pick it up, he sat down on his rear and looked at it closely. 

It took a minute. 

"Damn, you're really cute!" he chuckled, "And what's with the mark on your foot?" he looked at the mouse's foot; a little blue circle with the letter '**_G_**' in the middle. 

Anji inspected the mouse a bit more, but that's when the locker-room's door creaked open, a solider looked at him, a mixture between confused and irritated, "Hey! What are you doing here? It's 10:30! You should've been asleep!"

"Err-sorry! I guess I lost track of time!" the dancer chuckled, hiding the mouse behind his back. 

"What are you hiding?" the solider glared, hand reaching back to his gun.

"Nothing!" Anji said after a pause, "Um, would you believe- a mouse?" 

"A- mouse?" the solider asked, then watched the dancer as he brought the little white creature to his view, "Holy sh**! It's Ginger!" the solider gasped. 

"Ginger?" Anji asked, completely clueless, "It's she?" he gawked the little creature in his hands. 

"Hell yeah! Lady I-No was looking all over for her!" the solider huffed, "Well, anyway, I'd better get her back." He carefully scooped the little white mouse and placed her in his chest-pocket, and then looked back up to the dancer, "Now, I'd better escort you to the bedrooms, no funny stuff!" 

"Don't worry; I'm a new comer, so alright as long as you don't hurt me!" 

The solider only snorted. 

~*~*~*~*~

Next morning: 

Holy Order's main office:

"I see, alright then, I'll come around tonight. Goodbye." Baiken smiled and then hung the phone, Ky standing in front of her desk waiting, while Sol and Axl sat on a couch near by. 

"You people sure like to take your sweet time." Sol growled. 

Axl stretched out his arms and then sighed, "Man this is boring…"

Baiken calmly crossed her fingers, "Well, I'm afraid there is nothing I can do for you, Sol." She admitted, reached out for a file and unfolded it, "But I can offer you something to do, if you're interested!" she moved her lonely eye from the file to the hunter, "It's a head hunt; interested?" 

The hunter stood up, walked towards the desk and rudely snatched the file, "I'll be the judge of that." He snorted and flung the file open, there, he saw the picture of that crazy, 9'3 paper bag for a head, doctor Faust! Besides the head shot picture was another picture for a cute looking blond girl with a giant injection-shot! 

Sol comically gained a sweat drop; he placed the file on the desk, "Not even worth the time."

"Why? Too good for you?" the woman teased, her crossed fingers supporting her chin while her elbows perched on the deck. 

"Hell no! This crazy scarecrow could be anywhere!" the hunter growled, "Anyone else worth the watch?" 

"Well, there are many, but most files have already been submitted to other bounty hunters," she opened a drawer and took out a few files, "Let us see…" she spared them on her desk, "There is Anji Mito, but I already took care of him, then there is Venom, the leader of the assassins, we still cant locate any possible hideouts around down,"

"I'm handling it, milady." Ky smiled, then shot a glare at Sol, "So I would appreciate it if you stay out of this one, Sol." 

"Humph~! I've never been interested in old fish-eyes anyway!" 

Baiken shook her head, smiling, "Anyway, there is also one called Chipp Zanuff," 

"The drug addict?" the hunter arched a brow, not believing. 

"Well yes, Chipp Zanuff had been smuggling and scattering drugs around town, and he is also wanted for assassinating many important people throughout the last eight years. His clan, the hidden White-Dragon Clan is said to be one of the most dangerous Yakuza (Mafia) mobs in history, he's almost the head chief… if it weren't for Venom's guild." The redheaded woman frowned, "One of our best secret agents was killed during our investigations, all we know is that the two groups are currently under a truce, but if any on each member of each clan gets injured or killed by the other then the truce would be broken." She frowned and pushed the file to the hunter for him to check, "We can not let that happen, because if it does, then the whole city would pay… with blood!"

"You mean- like a civil war?" Axl asked, slightly worried.

"Exactly!" She rested her chin on her knotted fingers, eyes closed, "Those people are dangerous, they have killed many innocent people and for that they must be caught and sent to trial." 

Sol stayed silent, but then looked at the file, thinking. 

Ky spared the hunter a glance, pause, trying to understand the hunters facial feature before the spiky haired man oddly grinned wide, Ky snapped, "Sol! You can't! It's too dangerous!" 

"It's a kick ass job, brat!" the hunter snorted, smiling, "I'll take it."

"Uh… Sol?" Axl tapped the man's shoulder, "Um, aren't you forgetting something?" 

"Like what?" 

"Like me?" the blond British boy frowned, '_What if I get tingly and get sent back home alone? And I can't join you in this! It's too risky!_' 

"Scared? Get someone to pamper you!" the hunter laughed. 

"I'm afraid that's not possible, Sol." She frowned, "It's just too risky." The woman told coldly, and when she reached to gather up the files, Sol refused to give her back the earlier file, "Hey!" she whined. 

Sol looked at the cover, the file was titled: '_Case #AAZD-2278-0012-0005_' and it was ranked: '_SS+_' so the hunter nervously sweated, "Damn! This s a pretty damn long code name!" he muttered.

"The numbers are the date, and the capital letters are the queue!" Baiken growled, explaining, "Now give that back, I won't have a civilian go risking his life on such a crazy mission!" 

"Civilian?"  Sol frowned, "Woman! I take that as an insult!" he snorted, opened the file and made sure it was the one he wanted, "Let's see…" he analyzed the bio. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Name: Chipp Zanuff. 

Age: -unknown-

Height: 6'? 

Weight: -unconfirmed- 

Eye color: Red

Hair color: Silver/White

Blood Type: B

Birthday: February 9 (supposedly) 

Birth place: Said to be Japanese, but is originally American.

Hobbies: -unknown-

Likes: -unknown-

Dislikes: -unknown-

Personal information: -unavailable- 

Submitted by: Arnold D. Fox, Holy Order special agent #B-360 

Last updated at: March 16, 2280 at 8:30 pm

(…Sol skipped a few paragraphs…)

     Today, the sixteenth of March, leader Chipp had commented about the truce held with the Assassins' guild, he is not to trust them on any way, but to appear friendly if encountering any. It seems that the next drug shipment had not been dated yet, I could not get enough info about it what so ever, and clearly enough, his men still do not rust me. 

(Sol skipped a few other paragraphs, advancing to the next few pages…)

     Today, a new, young little girl had snuck into base, my what a crazy child! I over hear her begin the leader to stop smuggling because it is hurting her father, (it appear her father is a drug addict and he is beating her mother, as well as her) the child is barely twelve, but her poor, weak body is all covered up in black and blue bruises. 

     Zanuff pitied her, he told her to not have come here, but also told her that this is his way of living, he also said something that this is the way he is showing the world that rejected him how powerful he is. I fear that this child is yet to understand the kind of danger she had brought herself into. 

     Zanuff has no intention in hurting her, instead, he took her out of base, and I've never seen her ever since, is she still alive I wonder? Because when Zanuff return, he had a wide smile on his face, and clearly enough he was not harmed, perhaps the child is safe? My… I could only pray that she is. 

(The rest of the page was ripped with blood stain.)

~*~*~*~

"So… he got killed after this report?" Sol turned to the redhead as he read the file while having it atop of him. 

"No! There was more, but we lost it." Baiken growled, desperately trying to reach the file, "Damn it, Sol! Give it to me!" 

Sol's ears pricked, "What did you say?" he smirked. 

"I said: Give it to me!" she growled, hands cupping her hip. 

Ky and Axl comically gained sweat drops. 

"Lady Baiken-?" Ky began.

"Bad move, honey!" Axl sighed. 

     Before the redhead could turn to the two blonds and ask, she was pulled into a rib-crushing hug, with Sol pressing his lips against her own. Her breath was cough tight in her throat, not able to breathe in or out, Baiken closed her eyes tight, waiting tightly for the hunter to draw his tong out of her mouth before she bites it off for him. But the taste of that cigarette he'd had earlier provoked her in a mad way, she found herself kissing back.

"Damn!" the woman wheezed after it ended, her lonely peach-colored orb looked up embarrassedly at the hunter, "You're a pretty good kisser!" she pushed herself from her, "Better than Anji even." 

There was silence… 

Sol grinned wide, "Why- thank you!"  

Axl grinned wide but nervous.

"Anji Mito- kissed you?" Ky asked, shocked. 

Baiken's face went on fire. 

**_SLAP!_**

"**PERVERT**!" the redheaded woman shrieked before the sound of that slap –comically- echoed across the building.

Sol felt his head ringing in his ears, '_Whoa~!_" he blinked a few, desperately trying to focus. 

"Sh**… I need smock." The woman growled, her cheeks flaming up, she stomped towards her desk and took out a pipe, she stuffed it with little tobacco and then took out a matchbox, she lit it and started smocking.

"A pipe?" Axl gawked, "Man, I remember my grandfather had one just like it." he smiled, "Where did you get that?" 

"It used to be my father's." the woman hissed, took a big whiff and blew out the smoke in a circler like them cowboy movies. 

Ky sighed, "Lady Baiken please, remember that smocking is bad to your health!" the blond youth urged. 

The woman pouted, "Ky, I need something to relax, unless you want me to beat you into a pulp again then be my guest." She gave a dangerous fanged grin.

"Er-?" the French youth edged back, "I think I'll pass." 

Sol laughed, tucked the file under his arm and then headed to the door, "Alright then, I'm off." He told and he opened the door and took a step out before Axl clutched his arm, "Huh?" 

"Sol? Are you sure about this?" the British boy frowned, '_It might be more deadly than you think!_' he whispered. 

"You should say that to yourself, kid." The hunter snorted, spared a glance at the woman and smirked, "Don't go anywhere, cupcake, I'll be back soon." 

The redheaded woman was a bit started at first, but then she gave a flirty smile and winked, "If you like wine, I'll try to keep the ice from melting."

The hunter was startled she even replied, but he covered it with a chuckle, "Wonderful! Then how about here, tonight at eight? Just the two of us?" he shot the two blond men a threatening glare. 

"Hnn… I like punctual men, so don't be late." She purred, a flirty look while she smocked. 

Sol walked out, and Axl followed, closing the door behind them. 

"What the hell was **that** all about?" Ky cried, furious, and somewhat insulted, "Forgive me milady, but Sol is not the kind of man you should be hanging around with!" 

The woman took another whiff of her pipe, "I'm dearly sorry, sergeant, but I would appreciate it if you would mind your own business." She hissed, sending a cold glare at the blond boy, "I am aware of my actions, I do not need you to worry for me." She stood and walked to her seat, trying to relax while smocking her pipe. 

"But milady- Sol? Of all people, could you reconsider it?" 

The woman blew out a fluffy cloud of smoke, "Sergeant Ky,"

"Er- Yes, milady?" 

"How are things between you and Jam Kuraduberi going?" she smiled, "Have you caught the one whom burned her restaurant yet?" she taunting. 

The youth's face went on fire, realizing her point, "Uh- well…" he dropped his gaze, paused and then though of it for a minute, "Sigh… I'm sorry milady, sorry for what I have said." He bowed, apologizing. 

Woman smiled, "It's alright, and besides, I think Sol is kind of cute, getting to know him isn't going to hurt now is it?" she smiled warmly. '_One, goddamn, hot looking man, too!_' she smirked to herself, '_Not as sexy as Anji though._' She took another whiff from her pipe.

It took a minute… 

"Um, well, I think I am to take my leave, milady." The French boy bowed. 

"Alright, report to me whenever you find anything." She replied. 

"Yes, milady. Good day." And he simply walked out. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Some time later, somewhere else: 

"Sol, are you sure about this?" Axl whined, "I mean we don't know how crazy Chipp had gone in this place-or-time." 

"Old chatter box won't be a problem, all we have to do is catch a smuggler and he'll lead us to the main man." Sol shrugged.

     Sol had gotten an apartment, there he had left the files and a few things, he and Axl would have to share the place, sadly, but until then, the bounty hunter and the blond boy would have to stick together until any valuable information is found. Right now, Sol and Axl are walking down a street, heading towards an old abandoned ally, most people who can't afford a shelter stay there, they live in boxes or scraps and such, so Sol thought it would be the best place for a smuggler to start. 

"Hi! Would you like a ribbon, mister?" a cute, but dirty, little six year old girl walked up to the pair, a bunch of ribbons bundled in her hands.

'_Aw…_' Axl pitied her, she looked so tired and hungry, and that cute smile made his heart melt, but he didn't have any money, so he looked at the hunter, '_I know Chief, he's mean, he won't do it._' 

Sol stared at the girl and then paused, spared a quick glare at the British boy, as if he could read his mind, he looked back down at the little girl, "I'd love too, but your ribbons are all tangled," he explained, "I might buy one if they weren't so tangled." 

"So- if I untangle them, you'd buy one?" her face lit up.

"Sure." The hunter shrugged, cool, "But I need to be moving and your blocking my way." He knotted his brows. 

"Oh, sorry." She stepped aside.

After a few feet, Axl too a look back, he smiled when he noticed the girls enthusiastic attempts to untangle the ribbons. 

"… it weren't supposed to be like this…" Sol muttered. 

"What was, chief?" the blond boy asked, curious. 

Sol suddenly stopped, and Axl was sent smacking in the hunter's back.

"Ouch!" 

Sol clasped his hands on the blonde's mouth, hissing, '**_Hush!_**'

     Blinking confused, Sol dragged him behind a huge crate and left him, sneaking a look from behind, Axl noted that Sol was looking away, there were at least three men, talking and acting highly suspicious, and right then, Axl saw a bright flash of a gun! The one who took the gun switched it with a transparent bag full of white dust. 

'_Drugs…_' Sol hissed to himself, '_This guy must be a smuggler. Their exchanging drugs with weapons for those who cant buy it._' He explained to the British boy, '_Listen brat, stay here, got it?_' 

'_B- but- **chief!**_' 

     Too little too late, the hunter had already composed himself and walked out right into the open, walking calmly towards the smugglers. There were two smugglers, one was a redhead and the other was blond, and they turned to face the man in white jeans who is approaching them, Axl's heartbeats throbbed in his head, '_Chief must've gone crazy!_' he mentally screamed. 

"Yo! Got any diazepam?" Sol said coolly. 

The two smugglers scanned him, "How much?" the redhead asked. 

The hunter smirked, reached into his white jeans and took out a pouch, "This enough?" he shook the pouch and it jingled with the sound of clattering coins.

The blond gawked at the bag, paused and then looked at his partner; they gave Sol their back and whispered to each other. 

It took a minute; the suspense was so tight Axl couldn't keep his heart from throbbing. 

"We've got a better idea," the blond smiled.

Sol only listened. 

"Why don't you join us, you look like a reliable man." The redhead smiled. 

Sol knotted his brows, "Do I get to have all the diazepam I need?" 

"Buddy! You could practically swim in it!" the redhead smiled, "Deal?" 

Sol scanned the two, they looked much too cool and collected to be trying to trick him, "I guess." 

"Wonderful!" the blond smiled, "This way then, the boss would love to meet you." 

In the background, Axl could only swallow his fear, '_I hope you know what you're doing, chief!_'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: O_o


	4. chapter four

Chapter Four:

~*~*~*~*~*~

     In an old abandoned building, Chipp Zanuff, the leader of the White-Dragon ninja clan was meditating on a tatame, a pair of insense burning to his sides like two, black, thin candles, their smell helping him relax, and besides him was a small picture frame, a familiar looking Japanese man with a scar on his face, but his hair and eyes were black, and there was a black line on one corner of the frame, declaring that the man in the picture is dead.

      The place was crowded with training ninjas, shuriken and kunai were allover the walls and roof! Most members were young, and in the far side of the building were a few adults training a few kids, many were men, but there were only a few woman among the trainees. 

"Master! Master Chipp-sama!" a man ran in hurry towards the leader, pushing the people aside in hurry until he reached the leader's spot, "I have just received information that Sol Badguy has infiltrated our base!" 

"**What?**" Chipp sprung off his tatame, brilliant red pools promising the messenger nothing but death, "When? Where is he?" 

"Chipp-sensei-sama!" a woman ran over to the earlier messenger, "Sir! I have received information that Sol had infiltrated our base." She told. 

"I already said that!" the earlier man growled, comically, a vein popped over his head.

"There is more!" she hissed back at the messenger then turned to the leader, "He is yet to realize his position, we can trap him in section five, or assassinate him at section eight." She informed, "Your orders, sir?" 

Chipp crossed his arms, "… let him pass." 

"But sir!" the woman gawked, "He could destroy us all!" 

"We do not know his reason for coming here, so let him pass, Ayame-sensei!" 

The woman frowned, "Are you sure, sir?" 

The silver-headed man nodded, "Yes, let him pass." 

The woman knotted her brows, pressed her lips and bowed, "As you wish, sir." And with that, she vanished with a gust of smoke. 

Ten minutes later: 

     Sol stood coldly in the center of the room, a few feet away, Chipp Zanuff looked at him with cold, bloody red eyes. All around him, the rest of the ninja clan were ready, but they were all adults, no young ones what so ever, '_He got the backup squad ready, huh?_' the hunter smirked to himself, and then turned to face the ninja. 

"So, it's been a while, eh?" Sol leaned some weight on one leg.

"What do you want?" Chipp hissed. 

"Nothing much," the hunter shrugged, "I heard you're a big man in smuggling so I simply came to stop you." The hunter explained, then coldly crossed his arms, "So you coming with me or do I have to do it the hard way, chatter box?" 

The earlier messenger-woman gawked, holding back a gasp, she exchanged glances between their master and this intruder, she swallowed hard, her hands clasped, her fingers crossing in her prayer. 

There was silence… 

"I accept the challenge." Cold bloody red eyes glared the hunter. 

Sol frowned, '_Funny, chatter box isn't usually this collective._' He pondered, '_Maybe that's the difference in this time._' He shook his head, "Wonderful, I could use a little practice, can't let my talents rot."

The messenger woman, Ayame, closed her eyes, preying, '_God, please… keep him safe…_' 

     Chipp stepped down from his meditating-spot and calmly walked towards an arena, all the other ninja let him pass and circled the arena, waiting, so Sol simply followed and stood at the other side, fire-seal ready for the fight. The ninja leader reached up a hand and flung off his scarf, and then crossed his arms over his chest again, waiting, and for Sol, there was something different, '_Hell? There is a bloody deep scar over his right cheek!_' he knotted his brows. 

"What's with the face? Forgot to apply your makeup this morning?" Sol snorted. 

Ayame held back a frightened gasp; she fixed her eyes on the albino. 

Chipp's eyes were practically shooting daggers at the hunter, yet his face was showing but little anger.

'_It's worse than I thought…_' Ayame swallowed. '_… much worse!_' 

**_Heaven or Hell… _**

**_Duel One… _**

**_LET'S FIGHT!_**

     Sol quickly rushed right ahead, fire-seal ready, as for Chipp, he still had his arms crossed, not moving. Sol focused his eyes right to the ninja's brilliant red eyes, and for the life of it, Sol had this tiny little, itty bitty feeling that there was something wrong, but he just couldn't pinpoint it.

"Grand Viper!!!" he shouted, charging low with the fire blazing across the arena where he dashed. 

"Humph!" Chipp glared, one hand still crossed his chest while the other shifted up, his forefinger and middle finger together while the other two and thumb were in a fist, he set his command, "Bunshin!"  

"What-?" Sol gasped; he went right through the ninja who exploded into smoke, so the hunter's feet scratched on the dirt while he stopped himself by force, "Where-?" 

"Dodge this!" Chipp hissed, a little too quite for Sol to hear, he was as high as a triple jump in the air, "Kunai Rain no Jutsu!!" 

Sol jerked up, seeing many, many dark, pointy headed knife things being thrown right at him like rain of needles, "Sh**!" he hissed and jumped away, but two or three managed to stab his left leg, the weapons dug themselves deep into his shin. 

Chipp landed gracefully but also leaped back before doing the same hand gesture, "Evil Shuriken-windmill no Jutsu!" he outstretched his free arm and grabbed something that was behind his back, a huge metal knife-thing, he flipped it and four other knifes appear in the circular ring, like a deadly flower with only four sharp petals. 

Sol grunted, the ninja has thrown that thing right at him, "Sh**!" he cursed and jumped, but right when he landed, another one that was hidden in the blind-spot of the earlier one flew right at him, one sharp edge injured his side. 

"Too slow…" the albino hissed, "Shuriken!" he crossed his arms, each hand touching the opposite thigh where two cases were fastened, the ninja reached into them and quickly tossed whatever was in them towards the hunter. 

     Sol grunted, the ninja's continuum attack was all so sudden he didn't even know what to think! But he tried to ignore the nice side of him, '_Damn! I'm gonna shred that guy to sh**!_' his brain boiled in his head. The hunter managed to stand and looked up, Chipp was still as cold-and-expressionless as ever, '_Not the slightest bit like him, not at all._' Sol growled to himself, '_Guess Axl was right, this place is a whole lot different._' He panted. 

"Damn, you're better than I thought." Sol praised, "I won't go easy on you next time." He snarled and charged right towards the ninja again, "Bandit Bringer!" he shouted. 

"Fool…" the ninja jumped, dodging. 

"Hah!" Sol quickly jumped after him, "Gotcha!" he laughed, sending a fist to the albino, but the second his fist collided with the albino's face, he exploded into white smock and a punching bag appeared instead. "What-?" Sol gasped, '_Another trick?_' 

'_Boo~_' Chipp laughed, teasing, now standing right behind the hunter, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he cried. 

"What the hell?" Sol gawked. 

     Right before him, Sol watched as the ninja went fuzzy before a dozen of replicates appeared all around him, all the same stance, all the same cold eyes, all the same evil grin. '_Not good…_' Sol actually panicked, he had never thought that the loud, babbling, good-for-nothing chatter box of a Japanese-wanna be ninja could be so good in another time-or-space world. '_Why do I have the feeling this fight was over the second it started…_' he thought to himself. 

"C'mon, you chicken?" Chipp said coldly.

'_Feh__… well at least that quote is familiar._' Sol snarled to himself, '_Better get this over with quick, I have a date tonight._' He growled. "Alright, no more mister Badguy!" he growled, running right over to the ninja with standard kicking and punching, but oddly enough, Chipp was able to dodge most of them.

"That all you got?" the albino taunted, "Gezz~!" 

Sol gritted his teeth, gathering at the strength he has left and the red-black aura surrounded him, he could feel the power over flowing, his hair drifted up with the wave of energy, and he could feel that every single particle of strength should be in this last hit, but case if he missed, '_… I **don't** want to think about it._' He shook his head and dashed towards the ninja. 

Seconds passed, there was merely an arm-length separating them, and then-

"Napalm Death!" 

"Gu- **!!!!**" 

**DESTROYED!**

~*~*~*~*~

About an hour later: 

"What?" Axl gasped, "You're kidding me here, right?"

"Not if Sol was serious, and it had been over an hour now." Baiken frowned, shrugging a shoulder while pouring cream on her cappuccino, "Do you think it would be meddling in his job if I sent the guys after him for back up?" 

"Oh, yeah, chief would be pissed!" Axl laughed; a thin long spoon in hand while he stirred his cold drink. 

     Axl had taken the chance that Sol had gone out to the hunt and decided to get back to the Holy Order Main building and meet up –well, actually, he had the intention of flirting!- with that cute redhead leader-woman and chat for a while, but sadly she didn't even change her uniform, she still wore that heavy armor of hers but got herself a new chest plate instead of the one the Assassins guild stole from her when she was taken earlier.  

     '_Who knows? I might find something important._' He thought to himself, '_Baiken had always been a clamed up-cutie and perhaps in her current military position, she may've gotten a fair amount of info regarding the Gears and the Crusaders war._'  

     The youthful British boy and redheaded woman had been chatting for a short time, and all he knew about her by then is that she lost her eye when she was little, probably nine or ten years old by then, and that is when the Gears attacked her hometown and killed everyone. She's Japanese and she used to live in a little village with her parents before the Gears attacked. 

"So that's- how you lost your eye?" Axl asked, a bit hesitant of asking at first. 

"Hai… I mean, yes!" she smiled, "Those beasts have killed my family and one of them wanted to kill me for its own pleasure." She picked up her cup and took a sip, "Those Gears are to be annihilated, except for the one called Testament, of-course, he and Lady Dizzy have been a great help to us, and we owe them so very much although they are as well Gears." 

"Oh…" the blond boy said dumbly, '_I wonder if she lost her arm in this place._' He thought, scanning her quickly, '_She already has two arms, so I guess she may have not lost her arm, maybe just her eye._' He told himself and then paused before he turned to take a good look around. 

     They were at the Holy Order's cafeteria, and there were cute waitresses around too. The lobby was neatly waxed, sparkly and squeaky clean, there were a few Knights walking around, probably taking their lunch break, but still no sign of Ky; to add the least, the girls were pretty, but not as pretty as the one he's dining with. 

'_Man! If Chief saw me chatting with her he'd kill me for trying to steal his date._' The boy comically gained a sweat drop before taking a sip of his cold drink, '_I wonder what's taking him so long anyway, he should've gotten Chipp and dragged him here hours ago!_'

"Hey buddy!" Sol's gruff voice suddenly snorted, hot breath blowing against Axl's ear. 

Comically paralyzed into stone, Axl had a hard time breathing, "Uh- ah- H- Hi chief!" he stuttered a welcome. 

"What do you think your doing?" Sol hissed and then glanced at the ignoring redhead, "Was he buggin' ya?" 

The redheaded woman slowly placed down her cup, "I don't like British people very much, but he was quiet the company." Baiken smiled back, "Would you like a drink?" she sweetly offered.  

Sol smirked, grabbed Axl and tossed him off the chair, sitting in his place, "This would do me just fine!" he smiled, taking the woman's cup and had a big swig, drinking it all up, "Man that was good." 

The woman blankly stared, comically with a huge sweat drop, "Oh… I'm- glad you liked it." She nervously smiled.

Axl rubbed his rear and then stood up, "Uh, I think I'll find my way out, bye." He scratched his head and walked away, still feeling his hurt rear. 

Baiken and Sol watched him leave… 

"So? Any luck?" Baiken smiled.

"I don't believe in luck." Sol rubbed the back of his neck, massaging it. 

"Alright then, did you find anything?" she asked again. 

"Nothing of value to me…" he said blankly, sarcastically with a grin. 

The woman frowned, "Alright then, what is your report," she asked again but sounding strict, her fingers crossing while she rested them under her chin, "Sol Badguy?" she eyed him coldly, brows knotted. 

The hunter smiled back and rested one elbow on the table, "I have no report." He taunted. 

They coldly and silently glared each other … 

"Um…" Ky somehow appeared next to their table, a file at hand, "Am I- interrupting something, milady?" he asked. 

"Yeah… a staring match," Sol hissed, his eyes still fixed on the woman's lonely eye, "so get lost, French fry." 

"Sergeant Ky, I'll report to you later," the woman replied, still fixing her gaze to the hunter, "so you may leave."

The blond youth sighed, shook his head and shrugged, "… I- Give- Up-!" he mumbled as he walked away. 

     The staring match continued, and for all what Sol knew, everyone in the cafeteria was watching them, intensively eager to know who would win! Self importance took over so the hunter grinned widely at the redheaded woman who only hardened her glare; it took about three minutes before she swallowed, and started blinking a lot, her breath started to quicken and Sol couldn't help but realize that she was trying to stop herself from smiling back… or blushing! 

"Give up yet?" he chuckled. 

She only knotted her brows, hardening her glare as much as she could. 

"Ahem!" a deep, gruff cough interrupted, "Are you two kids done?"

Sol was the first to turn to the familiar voice, "Kliff Undersn?" he blinked, "So? You still alive, old timer?" he smirked. 

The short, old man pressed his lips in annoyance, "It's just like you, Sol." He shook his head and turned to the redheaded woman, "Commander, I'd like you to come with me to my office please, I have a job I need you to attend." 

"Hai… I mean, yes sir." Baiken popped up to her feet and nodded.

The old man nodded, a little smile attached, he then turned around, his hands clasped behind him as he walked back outside the cafeteria. 

'_We'll finish this later…_' the woman pouted, stabbing her finger in the hunter's chest. 

'_I'll be waiting._' He devilishly grinned. 

Baiken only pouted, faintly blushing, '_Feh__… Baka…_' she muttered as she followed her head-leader.

     Sol realized that he was now all alone at the cafeteria with almost everyone staring at him, a gaze between uneasiness and curiosity mixed up. He shot them death glares and they all turned back to whatever they were doing, so he growled and sat back on the chair, staring blankly at the cold drink Axl left earlier… he snorted and got up, ready to leave. 

"Um, excuse me, sir?" a waitress stopped him.

"Yeah? What do you want?" he huffed, clearly faking anger. 

"Well, your blond friend from earlier was supposed to pay for these drinks, but he left, so um…" she nervously smiled, shrugging a shoulder, "would you pay up, please?" she smiled sweetly. 

Sol muttered curses to himself while reaching to his wallet. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

'**_Yes!_**' Anji cheered to himself, he quietly crawled down a wide empty path, something alike a ventilation hole, he reached the end and kicked the cover, with a loud rattle, he leaped out of the tunnel to where the sun shined and the air blew fresh and pure, "Yes! Oh it's so wonderful to be free!" he chuckled to himself. 

The colony's alarm went on, declaring Anji's escape. 

"Geesh, these guys are slow!" he laughed, running towards the nearest road leading back to the city or France.

     During the earlier night he spent in the colony, Anji realized that the two men he over heard talking in the locker room were spies from the Assassins guild, their leader, Venom, needed a base for some shipment he was going to make and he needed a safe place, so he and the colony's mistress, her name was I-no something and she was involved. Anji had to reach the Holy Order Main and warn them before the assassins make any moves. 

     Wearing nothing but dark-gray slacks and a white sleeveless shirt, Anji ran as fast as his bare feet could go. It took a few minutes while he ran through a road with trees decorating each side; that was until he heard the roaring of a motor coming closer from behind, the dancer had nothing to do but duck in the bushes of the nearest tree he could find, and so he did.

     It felt like hours until the roaring of the motor came close, so the ebony-haired man snuck a careful peak, and that's when he realized it wasn't the colony's police car, it was a hotrod! The driver was a cute, blond young girl with sunglasses; she was listening to loud rock music and chewing on some gum… 

Comically, Anji got a light bulb over his head. 

"Hey! Hey~!" he jumped out of the bushes and started waving for her. 

Started a bit, the young woman slowed down and stopped next to the tall, dark, damn good looking man, "Hey there, need a ride?" she said in the most flirtiest manner. 

"Actually, yes." Anji panted, "I need to get to the Holy Order station, can you get me there?" 

She sardonically lowered her glasses to take a better look at him. It took a second, she stopped chewing and grinned, "Hop on." She pocked a finger at the seat besides her. 

"Thank you so very much!" Anji smiled, quickly jumping over the door and landing on the seat, hardly shaking the car.

"Hey, you're pretty light weighted." She mused, "Do you work out?"  

"Uh, yeah…" Anji nodded, "And, um, if you don't mind, I'm in a hurry." 

"You want speed, I'll give ya speed." She giggled, "Hold on, I'm kicking it to high gear." He stomped her foot on the panel. 

**_SCREEEEEEEEEECH_****_!_**

"**_WHOA~!_**" Anji cried, holding to dear life to the seat, '_Oh my…!_' he blinked, pale faced and startled. 

The girl only grinned wide, enjoying herself while poor Anji comically gained a sweat drop… 

About fifteen minutes later. 

"Here we are." The girl declared, "Need a ride home later on, cutie?" 

"Uh, no thank you." Anji smiled, his shaky legs hardly kept him standing, but he forced himself out of the car and bowed respectfully, "Thank you for your help, young lady, but I need to go now, bye!" he turned and hurried up the stairs, entering the building.

"No problem, bye." She waved back, watching him leave, she now slowly drove her way away from the building, stopping at the corner of the next block, she pressed a little nip at the side of her sunglasses and a beep came, "Mission completed, he arrived safely, ma'sm." 

Somewhere else… 

"Good…" a mysteriously-shadowed woman purred, playing with a little white mouse that moved about on her lap, she wore red leather-like clothes that hardly covered her front's flesh, and a classy guitar rested on her back with a strap, "Keep an eye on him."

"I will… over." There was another beep, declaring the end of the call. 

"You are quite a twisted woman." Venom, the silver-headed assassin leader praised, "What are your plans now?"

"Simple!" the woman hissed, stroking the little mouse's back lovingly, "We release the mice and cats together into the maze and see if they all get out of it alive." She giggled, and then laughed so hard her laughter echoed all across the building, a deep, dark, evil laugh.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"What?" Anji cried, "What do you mean she can't see me? I have to see her! It's important!" he argued.

"I can not let you walk in here while looking like **that**, mister!" the receptionist cried back, "Now please, I need to ask you to leave, Vice president Baiken is in a meeting right now, she has no time for slackers like you." He waved Anji away.

"I have something very important to tell her!" Anji shouted high enough for everyone in the lobby to hear him. 

"Like what?" a loud gruff voice snarled, Sol Badguy walked his way towards the receptionist, soon followed by Axl. 

"What's going on?" Axl asked, looking from the dancer to the receptionist. 

"This man demands to see Lady Baiken, I told him to come back some other time but he wouldn't listen." The receptionist argued. 

"What do you want to see Baiken for, Anji?" Axl asked, curious. '_You want to ask for a date, maybe?_'

"Huh?" the ebony-haired man gawked the British youth, "Gomen… I'm- sorry, do I know you?" 

"It's me! Axl!" the boy frowned, he was going to say more before something hit him, '_Darn! Anji and I probably never met in this time-place!_' "Uh- never mind!" he brushed it off, "I'm Axl, Axl Low and this is Chief, Sol Badguy." 

Anji looked from the hunter to the British youth, brows knotted, "I don't believe that I've seen you two before, you new around d here?" 

Sol comically gawked, '_Never seen me before? Hell-? What about all the times I beat him up and dragged him to the colony? Doesn't he remember any of those?_' 

"You can say that." Axl chuckled, "Anyway, why are you here?" 

"I have something very important to say to Lady Baiken." Anji explained, serious, "Please tell me where I can find her!" 

"What are you going to say to her? Ask her hand in marriage?" the hunter teased. 

Anji's face comically went on fire, "N- Nanda?" he cried, "Where the hell did you get **that** idea?" he fisted his hands tight, "I have very valuable information and I need to repot to her immediately!" 

"What is going on here?" Ky walked into the conversation, but after noticing Anji, he pointed a frazzled finger at him and shouted like a maniac, "AH!!!! Anji Mito! What are you doing here?"

Anji comically gained a sweat drop, "I need to see Baiken, please!" he told, "It's about the Assassin's Guild!" he admitted; '_Maybe now they'll let me see her._' He hoped. 

Sol, Ky and Axl blankly stared at him.

"The Assassins Guild?" Sol sardonically arched a brow, asking.

"Yes!" Anji replied firmly. 

Ky stared for a minute, "what about them? What info do you have?"

Anji turned to the French knight, "Sorry, if I tell you then you'll just brush me off," the dancer crossed shi arms, "I'm keeping the repot for Baiken." 

"That's Vice President of the Holy Order, Lady Baiken." Ky frowned, "As a civilian, and a true-blooded Japanese, you should remember her with her title, not just her name." 

"Oh? Why is that?" Anji hissed. 

"Because she is in a higher rank than your."

"But she's Japanese, isn't she?" 

"Yes she is, but she is no ordinary Japanese," Ky retorted, "she had proved herself worthy of that position and title and you are to respect that, understood?" 

"I don't get it, all you '_high-ranked_' people say that Japanese are better off '_pickled_' in colonies, and Baiken is no different!" Anji retorted back, "She is a woman and she is Japanese, so why the hell are you treating her like the first class since you count Japanese people in the _endangered_ category? Is it just because she serves you good? What if got killed? Would you even care? No!! All you self-importance bastards think of are yourselves and your ranks when it comes to politics, you don't give a damn sh** to whatever happens to her as long as it doesn't rock your position in this damned world! You, damned, self-righteous, sh** headed -

**_SLAP!_**

Anji's spectacles fell to the marble floor… the glass shattered on that reflective surface like spluttered water… 

There was silence… 

"For once…" Baiken's soft, quite voice whispered as she lowered her hand to her side, her lonely peach-colored orb fixed to the dancer's previously slapped face, "… I'd like to send you somewhere safe… where you wont get yourself into trouble no matter how hard you'd try." She continued, "But alas, a place like that doesn't exist in this world, does it?" she forced the tiniest smile, her lips twitching, suppressing a sob. 

Shocked, Anji touched his burning face with his finger tips and slowly fixed his chocolate-brown eyes to the woman's lonely orb, his jaw seems to work on its own for a second before he clinched his teeth tight, changing his mind, he hung his head, his eyes shaded under his thick, black bangs.

Sol Badguy swallowed, felt his chin before clearing his throat, "Um, you said you had info about the Assassins Guild?" 

Anji nodded, silent. 

Baiken held her breath but then turned to the French knight, "Alright then, Sergeant Ky, would you please guide these gentlemen ahead? We'll talk all about it in my office." She told. 

Ky Axl and stared at each other before sparing a pitying glance at the silent Japanese man, but they went on ahead, silent as well. Sol took a minute to stare at the woman, curious of what she was doing. 

Baiken smiled at the hunter, "I'll be right there, you go ahead, I just- need to have a word with Anji… if you don't mind." She swallowed. 

Sol seemed to blankly just look at her, he closed his eyes and inserted his hands in his white-jeans pockets, "Ten minutes, if you're not back, I'm coming after you." He muttered. 

Baiken only smiled, "Arigatou… thank you."

     Walking away, Sol wondered if he should stick around and stalk the pair, but somehow, he just weren't in the mood, he felt like there was something bugging him and it was really bugging, but he couldn't pinpoint the cause, doing the thing he likes best, -ignoring!- he shrugged it off and headed towards the redheaded woman's office. How can he remember where it is? Or how can he actually miss it? It's the biggest, prettiest, most neatly-decorated office in the whole third floor! '_Hell, she even has her own collection of swords!_' 

Back to the Japanese pair: 

     After Sol walked away, Baiken turned to the ebony-haired man who still hung his head, fists clinched so tight his knuckles had turned white. The woman swallowed and took a step closer to him, but because of the fact that she was at the receptionist she had to talk to the dancer somewhere else. Anji hadn't moved, he stopped clinching his teeth though, now only his lips pressed in a straight line, a clear sign of his discomfort. 

"Anji," Baiken began, daring to slip the hand she slapped him with earlier into his fisted hand, and when she did, his fingers reflexively eased their grip, allowing her fingers to cross with his, "can I talk to you?" she cooed. 

The dancer looked away, not looking at her, his eyes freighting, still shaded with his bangs.

     The woman felt this uneasiness slip through her, but she only pressed her lips together, forced a tiny smile and then slightly tugged on his hand, leading him away. Baiken had to fight the embarrassment of the fact that everyone was watching her leading the lightly-dressed man away. 

'_Jerks… wonder what kind of perverted ideas they're having now…_' she growled to herself. 

     After a minute, she reached an empty lobby, it was where the new library was being built-in and the builders weren't there yet, probably still at their lunch break. The lobby was long and the floor was covered with newspapers, something to prevent the paint from dropping on the marble floor, protecting it. The walls were hard and uneasy, clearly still at the beginning of the pain job; the sweet color of sugar-white paint was clear on the far other side of the lobby. The double-door they stood near held the room where many still un-wrapped bookcases where the books would be neatly sorted later on.

'_But none of this…_' the woman cleared her mind and turned to the still silent dancer, "Anji," she cooed again, "please talk to me." She asked, hesitantly reaching out to touch the cheek she had slapped earlier. 

Anji quickly clutched her gloved hand, cold chocolate-brown eyes glared her, angry. 

Baiken was frozen, she had never seen those eyes before and yet, she already doesn't like them. 

     In the middle of the traffic-jam of her startled mind, the redheaded woman didn't realize the man turning his glare from her face to her glove, he knotted his brows tighter before he slowly started tugging on her glove's fingers, slipping the glove off her hand, but all she did was stay silent, watching him. One minute later, her soft, pale hand was bare, her nails neatly trimmed, shining with the soft light, but Anji still gripped it, tossing the glove away, he eased his rough grip and for her surprise…

He kissed it! 

Soft chocolate-brown eyes flashed against her sight, and Anji smiled, "You wanted to talk? I'm listening." He widely grinned. 

Baiken stared, confused, "Aren't- you mad at me?" she asked, her lonely eye still staring at that dopy, sweet grin, "I mean- I just slapped you! In public!" 

"Aw… I talk too much! You had to shut me up somehow, right?" he laughed, scratching his head, "Anyway, I wanted to see you because of the colony you sent me too earlier," He began. 

"I just wanted to keep you away from trouble, Anji." Baiken replied, cutting-in, "Were you mad at me?" she asked again. 

"Never mind that, I-"

"Anji! Were you mad at me?" 

"Baiken! I'm just-"

"Anji!" she snapped, startling him, "Don't you go giving me that sweet attitude of yours, got it? Just answer the damned question!" she hissed, now she was the one gripping his hand, "Were you mad at me?" 

There was a pause… 

"Uh…" Anji hung his head, paused and then forced a little smile, "Honestly… just a little." He knotted his brows, "But forget about me, we have to-" 

"No! I won't!" she snapped again, "Anji if I hurt you back there then I'm really sorry, I didn't mean that!" she told, "It's just that you always get so angry when whatever subject involves me and you start saying thing without thinking, you make me worry about you." She explained, "And- as much as I want to be with you, I can't." She sighed, "So please, try not to bring that up around a crowd, alright?" 

The ebony-haired man sighed; "Alright…" he nodded, smiling.

Knock- Knock! 

"Hey!" Sol shoved the lobby door open, "Times up!" he snarled, annoyance clear on his face, "What took you two so long, anyway?" he cupped his hip, paused and then grinned, "I didn't interrupt any kissing, have I?" 

The pair only glared him, comically Anji and Baiken had veins pulsing over their heads. 

~*~*~*~*~*~ 

     Night was dark, and the wind was chilling-ice to the bone, and although the sky was clear the stars were fading when night-clouds soared through the night, even the moon was hardly able to shine down on the lamp-lit city. In an old abandoned building, the place was silent and empty, except for a cretin spot where a silver-headed man with brilliant red eyes and a red-tattered scarf glanced around, inspecting the place. 

"Sensei-sama," Ayame, the messenger woman from earlier spoke, "everyone had been transported to our new refuge, and the investigation team should gather up there soon, so are we to follow?" 

Chipp closed his eyes and uncrossed his arms, "I suppose…" he sighed, turned and then looked at the kneeling woman, "Ayame-sensei."

"Hai, Sensei-sama?" 

"When Sol defeated me," he arched a brow, "what happened exactly?" 

The woman looked up at her master, a bit startled, "He- he said that you were a worthy opponent for the moment…" she began, "and then he said that he'll come back later because he didn't feel like arresting you just yet." 

The ninja muttered curses to himself, shook his head and then walked pass the woman, '_Holy Zen…_' he whined, "Let it go, Ayame-sensei, let us head back before the investigation team gets worried." He shrugged. 

The woman stood up, her ears twitched before she giggled, "Um, I think we're a little late, sensei-sama." She told. 

Confused, the silver-headed ninja turned to face her only to notice the few shadowed figures lingering above them, "Oy…" he whined, "you guys are an hour early!" he argued, "I thought I told you to look after the others!"

One black-haired ninja silently landed on the arena's floor, "Gomen, sensei-sama!" he smiled, "But we were worried about you." He told, "After what that hunter did to you, we were afraid you'd get ambushed or something." 

"I am your leader; I can look after myself just fine, thank you." Chipp childishly whined. 

"Sorry, Sensei-sama," another man landed besides the first, lighter dark-brown hair he had, "We just thought it would be better if we accompanied you back to the new base incase we were being stalked." 

A blond man landed besides the other two, "And talking about stalks, we noted that a few members of the Assassins Guild were acting strangely around our territory's borders," he informed, "we just thought you'd like to know."  

There was a pause… 

"How suspicious?" Chipp Zanuff asked the blond ninja and then he and the three men and Ayame leaped up, existing their old base through the opening in the roof.  

"Well…" the blond began, matching his silent leaps with the other two and woman and master, "in the western section, I noticed that there were a few of them meddling about our supply managers, although I doubt that they knew they are the ones  who supply food for us, we should be careful,"

The brown-headed ninja leaped in, "I have checked with our team from the Holy Order, they say that Sergeant Ky is the one handling the investigation, but they still have no leads." He told, "Should we help them locate the Assassin's base, sir?" 

While leaping from one roof top to the other in that dark, cloudy night, Chipp's eyes shined in brilliant red, "No!" he snapped, stopping, "If we do that then those bastards would have a reason to kill any of us at sight, including the refugees." 

The black-haired ninja stopped besides their master, kneeling down with all the others so they won't be seen, "But sir! If we get rid of them, we'll be out of trouble for a while, wont we?" 

"No, we won't." Ayame frowned, "If the Assassins Guild falls, the Holy Order will come after us next, their knowledge of our truce is the only reason they have not tried snatching us yet." She turned to the other two men, "For them, as long as we don't start another bloodshed, civil war then we can rampage this cursed city all we want!"

"I don't think that's it, Ayame sensei." Chip whispered, "If that was it, then Sol would've sent me in when he had me," he looked at the woman, "but he didn't… that makes me wonder what he had in mind when he challenged me?" 

"Who knows." The blond shrugged. 

'_Who knows indeed…'_ Chipp thought to himself, '_No one would know but Sol himself…_' 

~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: O_o


	5. chapter five

==================

Chapter Five: 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Next morning, Holy Order Main building:

"Coffee?" Anji offered, now wearing a nice, thick, light blue, turtle-neck sweater, black slacks and heavy, black-leather boots, he also got himself new spectacles. 

"Hn? Oh- no thank you." Baiken waved him off absentmindedly. 

     They were in Baiken's office; Anji was constantly trying to make her feel comfortable, serving her and reminding her of bits and pieces about the report he thought were of use while she worked over her report. According to the information Anji informed her of and what Sol and Ky reported, she came to the conclusion that both Assassins Guild and the White-Dragon clan were making a move at the same time; it worried her. 

"Say, Baiken," 

"Hmm?" the woman replied, absentmindedly. 

"You're chewing on the pencil again." 

"Hn?" she blinked, realizing the strange taste that invaded her mouth, and when she looked down she noted the now fully-teeth-marked pencil in her hands, "Oh…" she said blankly. 

Anji laughed and exchanged the pencil with a new one, "You should relax."  

"I can't help it, I always find myself chewing something while thinking." She argued, faintly blushing. 

"I have some bubblegum." Anji offered. 

She looked at him, turned to her new pencil, then at the chewed one in Anji's hand and shrugged, "Feh… better than having wood in my mouth!" she shrugged. 

Anji grinned sweetly and reached into his pocket, drawing out wrappings, he unwrapped them and presented her with colorful little balls of candy, "They're sugar coated, try one." 

Reaching for a dark-green one, Baiken inspected it before inserting in it her mouth, she gave a sudden face, "Sour~!" she whined in panic, quickly reaching out to the Kleenex box, she pulled out a tissue and then she spit the candy, he lonely eye went watery, "Damn!" 

"Oh God!" Anji panicked, "Are you alright? Oh I'm so sorry! Was it too strong?" 

"**Way** too strong." She whined as she tried blinking the tears away, "Damn, I've never ever tasted anything so strong in my whole life!"  

Anji looked back at the candy and picked a red one, "Here, I think this is either apple or cherry, it should taste better." 

"Oh no," she argued, "I'm not-"

"C'mon! It'll take the sour lime out of your tongue for at least a short time." He argued. 

Baiken felt her eye before taking the candy; she inserted it in her mouth without thinking and took a minute, letting her painfully-jolted senses relax with the new taste. 

Anji waited, "Well?" 

"It's neither." She smiled, talking with the candy in her mouth only made her blush.

"Neither what?"

"It's strawberry."

"Oh…" 

"But damn, that lime was a professional killer, I should send you to jail for attempt of- of- whatever!!" She turned to the tissue where the offending, strong-tasting candy lay all covered in drool, "I think I should throw this away." She reached out to it. 

**_SLAM! _**

Anji twisted around to a blond girl, "Um…?" 

"Lady Baiken," the young girl walked to the redheaded woman's desk, "Sol Jerk-guy demanded to see you." She snorted as she turned around to the door where Sol allowed himself in. 

"Listen, here Baiken, I-" he stopped, squinting an eye, "What are you eating?" he grinned and teasingly touched her cheek where the candy was clearly stashed in her mouth. 

Baiken blushed, "It's bubblegum," she frowned. 

Sol chuckled, "You look cute and you smell like strawberry." 

The blond girl growled to herself while dismissing herself out, cursing a particular Sol Badguy.

Anji was just about to offer her candy –in hope it would cool her down a bit- when she brushed him off, slamming the door shut; he comically gained a sweat drop.

Sol grinned at the blushing woman and that's when his sensitive nose caught the smell of lime, so he looked over her desk and saw the dark-green, wet candy in a wrinkled tissue and he reached for it, touching the tissue, "What's this?" 

"It tasted horrible, that's all you needed to know." Baiken told, "I should get rid of it." 

Sol glanced at the wet orb and snatched it before the redhead did, with a grin he tossed it in his mouth. 

Baiken and Anji gasped, surprised. 

It took a moment… 

"Hmm… Damn! This stuff is strong!" he gave a pained face, "But you made it just as bearable!" he smirked, licked his lips and cracked it, he started chewing, "Thick stuff!" he blew out a transparent green bubble. 

Baiken blinked and then cracked the candy in her mouth; she started chewing, "Yeah, it's a little hard to chew." 

Anji stared at Sol, '_Damn, I thought only kids trace after the ones they like…_' he shot daggers of hate at the hunter, '_For__ crying out loud, re-eating what she spit out? Honestly!_' he snorted, looking away, teeth gritted.  

"-nyway," Sol mumbled, trying to talk with gum in his mouth, "I traced down the threads of the info O' four eyes said yesterday," he teasingly poked a thumb at Anji who glared hatefully in reply, "I'm afraid that they were false!" 

"What?" Anji frowned, re-wrapping the candy and inserting it back in his pocket before standing face to face with the hunter, "I heard them with my own two ears! I'm sure of it!" 

"Anji, Sol, please!" Baiken frowned, stashing the gum in the inner-side her mouth, "There is a possibility that the ones you over heard informed their leader, and so they either delayed their planes or changed their mind." She told, "There is the possibility that they were talking about another colony, though, we can't confirm that either." 

Anji frowned, "I have an idea! How about if we send someone back to the colony to confirm the info?" 

Sol eyed him sardonically while Baiken gave him an annoyed gesture. 

"B- But you can't send me back there, if they've recognized my face, the plan would be a dud!" Anji said in self defense.

"He has a point." Baiken mumbled and started toying with the gum in her mouth. 

"Sadly…" Sol mumbled as well, blew a bubble and popped it, he started chewing again, thinking, "Who can we send, than?" 

"Hey! Chief!" Axl walked in with a big grin… 

Sol, Anji and Baiken gave the British youth a spine-chilling look… they were smiling… 

"Uh… what's- going on?" he gained a sweat drop.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Somewhere else: 

     Silver-long hair bounced about when Venom twisted around, his pole quickly smacking the man with the eye-patch on the head, and the blue-eyed, golden-haired rookie, Raphael, stood calmly besides the TV and a tape way playing, a tape that he had worked on utilizing a few days earlier. The screen showed the recorded tape in heat-censor-mode, in the chamber when the overflowing power of Anji appeared when he summoned his Dragon Chariot, and for some reason, Venom was furiously angry. 

"Fools! Why have you not reported this sooner?" he shouted, shaking the pole in front of the two men, he glared the one with the eye-patch before turning to the youth, "Why did you take so long in showing me?" he hissed. 

"I'm graciously sorry, sir! But when I was working on the tape, I thought that it was just some sort of scrambles!" Raphael began, "I did a copy of the tape before utilizing it and made a copy of the copy for over twenty times, but every time I utilize it I get the same thing!" he turned his blue eyes to the screen, "Mito and the woman's bodies appear in red, orange and yellow while Mito's summon appears in white-green." He paused, "Sir, do you know what the white and green resemble?" 

"Jinki…" Venom hissed, now his two hands tightly gripped the pole, "Mito's Jinki is larger than average, it is even stronger than Kiske and Kuraduberi." The leader paused, "Perhaps- could it be stronger than the fire seal?"

"Maybe but… it's slower, boss." The man with the eye-patch rubbed his sore skull, "He took about forty seconds simply charging for the summon while the French kid and Chinese dame take about 20-30 seconds max." he told and when his silver headed leader turned to him, he raised his arms in self defense, "But I was just assuming! Nothing is guaranteed, eh?" 

"Maybe it was because he was all beaten up?" Raphael turned to his leader, questioning. 

"No…" Venom said quietly, "I had sent special spies to track Mito and gather info whenever found, he has an extremely strong summon, plus his stamina is quite greater than the others, but sadly it takes him too much time to channel the power to call forth the summon, and that explains why he doesn't use it much."

Raphael nodded, listening, "But the more he uses it the less time it takes, right?" 

"No… summoning the Dragon Chariot from within the Zessen's Jinki takes too much time and needs explicit concentration, in other words, Mito can not summon the Dragon unless it is his last option standing." Venom forked his finger through his silver-bangs, "Not any other Jinki stand against the true power of the Zessen fans." 

"True- power?" the blond youth frowned, "Sir! Are you saying that- Mito still hadn't mastered the fans' complete powers?" 

"Yes, he has no idea how the greatest summon is called, and that is for the best that he doesn't." Venom turned to face the youth, his brilliant-blue eye glittered from under his silver hair, "I have studied the arts of the past and the creations of each and every Jinki that had been brought out to the world so far, and their magic had not been completely obtained as well as not found or discovered." He told, "There are many techniques that Mito had not discovered yet and for that, I need to get the Jinki and the summons order to be able to release the greatest summon… Kaze No Ryuu."

"Kaze- no what?" the man with the eye patch and blond rookie gawked, confused. 

"Kaze No Ryuu." Venom explained, "Winds Dragon." 

"Well, what did you mean by '_Summons order_' sir?" Raphael asked, still a bit confused. 

"For the welder of the Jinki to call forth the beast of his weapon, he needs a certain pattern of thoughts, shall I say like words or spells in a magic book, something that- when saying them, the pronunciation would cause a reaction in the weapon's Jinki, activating it's magic and that would call out the beast, and the summon would be out." Venom told. 

Raphael still looked a little lost.

"I do not know much about the Japanese culture since they have almost been annihilated, the Holy Order pays too much attention to them as well, but I do know that if I can grasp a hold of the Zessen then taking over the whole city would be a simple task." Venom hung his head; his drape of silver hair covered his face. 

"What do you need the Japanese culture for, sir?" the blond rookie asked. 

"You will understand it in time, boy." The leader hissed, waving a hand. 

     The two men still didn't understand, but clearly their leader had finished what he wanted, now waving a hand at them, dismissing, he grabbed the remote and pressed a few buttons, rewinding the tape and re-watching it heat-censor-mode, frame by frame. Raphael and the man with the eye patch shrugged at each other before leaving the room together, leaving their leader to his business.  

'_Kaze__ No Ryuu… just think of the power that fool welds, such a loss…_' 

~*~*~*~*~

"Hatcho!" Anji sneezed, he sniffled and gently rubbed his nose, he and Baiken were in the leader-woman's office. 

"Bless you." Baiken smiled; a spoon at hand while she added cream to her coffee.

"Thank you." He smiled back and then looked down at his coffee; he picked up his cup and took a sip, "So? What did you want to talk about?" he warmly smiled.

Baiken smiled back even wider, "Well first, I hope Axl doesn't get in trouble because of your plan; second, I hope Sol doesn't start giving us trouble if he ever saw us here; and third, I just wanted to talk to you about the White-Dragon clan." She knotted her brows, looking serious, "According to our sources, you and Chipp Zanuff were childhood friends, right?" 

Anji paused, "Chipp Zanuff?" he blinked, thinking, "Well yeah, but that was ages ago, I haven't seen him for a fair-14 years!" he shook his head, "Last time we saw each other was when the Gears destroyed our hometown, I was sent to a colony while he was sent to an orphanage, and I think that's where he got to the road of drugs." The dancer hung his head, "We were like brothers until that day came." The dancer took a sip, stirred the cup a little before he looked at the woman, worried, "He- hadn't actually hurt anyone, had he?" 

"Sigh… Anji, I'm afraid that your old buddy is a high-rank, wanted assassin." She told, "He had killed many important people as well as shipping illegal drugs." 

"And handing out food and shelter for refugees…" the dancer hissed, annoyed. 

The woman arched a brow, "Who told you that?" she frowned, "Have you- Do you have a way of communicating with him?" 

Anji blinked, "No, I just hear things from the people on the street." He said honestly, "He's not all bad, there are a few poor people out there that have no one in their lives as important as him." 

The woman paused, "What are you saying? That the most dangerous, head assassin in the whole world is actually a sweet, kindhearted man?" 

Anji studied her words, "If I said something like that right in his face then I'd defiantly get a punch in the kisser." He laughed, but smothered it with a cough when the redhead glared him, "Anyway, Chipp doesn't like to look like a weak guy, he's been like that ever since we were kids, he wants to be strong but without hurting anyone…" there was a pause, "Maybe- if he had chosen another way, a way away from drugs then he- his dreams… our dreams!- may've come true." 

     There was a look of -grief?- in the dancer's eyes, there was something sad darkening the gleam in his brown eyes and Baiken was able to see it, the look reminded her of her lost-loved ones, her hope and childhood dreams, a look that reminded her of nothing but despair. Baiken stared blankly at her cup, seeing nothing but her mangled reflection, her dead, grey-eye hidden under her crimson bangs. Taken deeply by those sad brown eyes, after a long, silent pause; she picked up her now fairly warm drink and took a quiet sip, eyes closed. 

There was deafening silence; nothing broke that silence but the soft clattering of the cups on their saucers… 

_Ring- Ring! _

     The two Japanese blankly stared at the elegant white phone with the pretty sugar-yellow buttons as it rang, it rang and ran for about five or six times before Baiken frowned, groaning to herself in annoyance and picked it up, Anji squinted his eyes as the loud cursing buzzed from the other end, it was Sol Badguy and he was not pleased the least bit.

Somewhere else: 

"What took you so long, damn it?" the hunter growled. 

"What is your report, Sol?" Baiken quietly replied, ignoring his angry tone. 

That only made Sol pop a vein, comically furious, "Axl is in the colony, happy?" he growled, "They wouldn't let me in, though, they said that I'm not allowed to see the mistress of the colony without permission." 

"From where can that permission be granted?" the woman's voice replied. 

"I dunno, they said to get it, they didn't say from where or from whom!" he growled, "Geesh, lousy little-" 

"Alright then, I'll send a chopper to you, you-" there was a pause, "Anji says that maybe you should take a good look around, there might still be the ventilation hole he escaped by, if they still haven't closed it then it might be the '_hole_' they're looking for." She informed. 

"Alright then, tell O' four eyes I'll look around." Sol growled, '_Being bit**-lead by a woman… what is my life going to?_' he shook his head, irritated, "See ya." He clicked his mobile and ended the call; he took a quick look at the colony's high walls and the double door before walking calmly around the building, scandalizing the area via satellite with his –secretly high functioned!- Gear abilities. 

_~ Scan complete. ~ _

"Finally…" the hunter grinned, he hurried in his pace to the point of running around, he kept on that footage until he reached a spot where the colony's walls were faintly colored in paler wood-brown, "Looks like someone didn't do his homework." He laughed, walking closer, touching the wall, and to his surprise…

It was plain compressed paper! 

"What the-?" he frowned, he pressed his thumb to the surface and it left a slight dent, so the hunter smirked, "This could be interesting!" he took a step back, then another, and then another, he glared the dent-spot where he pressed his thumb earlier and concentrated, the fire-seal now at hand, he tightened his grip on the hilt and flames started blazing all around him, not harming him at all. 

"**_Grand Viper!!!!_**" he shouted, low-dashing right through the weakly built wall. 

**_BASH! _**

     The flames sizzle, red, orange and yellow, burning the paper, eating it's way up quick in hunger as if it was cotton candy, melting away with the heat, dropping down dark dust of burning paper and resulting ash and soot to dirty the floor; the floor that was formed of cold, grey cement and concrete walls. 

'_What is this place?_' the hunter felt uneasy, '_No wonder four eyes didn't like it here, this places gives me the creeps!_' an irritating shiver caused Sol's skin to pin prickle violently.

     Sol Badguy stood tall and –not proud- grumpy! The place really did look more like a military base than an ordinary colony, it had all these little security cameras all around the corners and the place looked like it was the laundry room, and from the smell, no one had done any cleaning for a while. 

     Ignoring the offending smell, the hunter carefully walked his way through the ward, carefully shimmying his way pass the cameras by sticking to the walls, '_Damn! I've been watching Axl play too much Metal Gear Solid!!_' he growled to himself. It took a moment, shimmying from one wall to the other, escaping cameras until he reached a ward with nothing around but empty hardboard boxes, '_God! Please don't tell me-!_' he comically gained a sweat drop. 

     A masked genome- Er! A masked Assassin walked from the ward with a gun on his back, he looked around feeling bored and passed through the ward where Sol used to be at and looked around, yawned, stretching his arms to the limit before he lazily walked his way back; that was until something hit him hard backside the head enough to knock him out. 

     Sol looked down at the unconscious man, comically, stars orbiting his head, he paused for a moment, and then he looked at the hardboard box he camouflaged himself with, and then paused for a longer moment… Sol closed his eyes and rubbed his temple, mumbling to himself. '_That's it!! I must be going crazy!_' he shook his head hopefully to clear his mind and then continued his way, infiltrating the base. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Sorry! ^_^ I need to cut this one short! ^^


	6. chapter six

Chapter Six:

~*~*~*~*~*~

Location: Unconfirmed. 

"Sensei-sama!" a cute little, five year old girl rushed through a lobby; until she tripped over her scarf and fell on her face, "U- uuuuu!!" her lips trembled, sniffling and stifling her sobs; she closed her eyes as tears filled then. 

Adult arms scooped her up in an embrace, hugging; "Shelly, how many times did I tell you that if you keep running in the hall then you might fall and hurt yourself?" Ayame cooed, cocking the child in her arms, smiling warmly. 

"Gomen-nasai, Ayame-chan." The little girl sniffled and her tiny little fists rubbed her eyes, "Bu- I saw a cute kitty and I wanted Sensei-sama to see her!" she pouted. 

"Ayame-sensei," Chipp Zanuff approached the pair, "please don't tell me she tripped again." He looked at the little girl with warm eyes.

The little girl had black eyes and short, silken black hair, she wore a cute grey sundress, tiny toes as her feet were bare and a long, tattered red scarf, she sniffled and waved a chubby little baby hand, "Konichiwa, Sensei-sama." She shyly smiled. 

"Konichiwa, Shelly-chan." The silver-headed ninja smiled back and then scanned her, "Shelly, I thought I told you not to wear that scarf, you always trip on it." He gave a sided smile.

Shelly, the little girl only clutched the scarf with a baby smile, "I like it, it's a piece of your scarf, Sensei!" she told, "When I grow up, I wanna be a great ninja, just like you!" she giggled. 

Chipp bashfully scratched his head, and then he frowned while ignoring Ayame-sensei's giggle, "Well yeah, thanks." He laughed and patted the child's head, "But being a ninja is tough, an adorably, pretty, cute, little girl like you shouldn't try to copy a big man like me, alright? You might bump into something you can't handle!" 

"Like what?" Shelly blinked, curious. 

"Like Akuma-sensei's bulldog, Naraku!"

Shelly's skin violently pin prickled, "I don't like big doggies." She whimpered in fear, clutching to the woman's vest. 

"Sensei-sama!" Ayame softly scolded, "Now look what you've done! You've made her cry!" she rocked the child, soothing her fear, "Baka-sensei, did he scare you honey?" 

"I don't like dogs, they're big and scary and they bark a lot." Shelly sniffled.

Chipp pouted and then crossed his arms while watching the woman walk away with the child in her arms, annoyed. 

     Chiupp Zanuff, the leader of the White-Dragon clan and head assassin, followed by many and respected by all. The silver-headed, so called-albino sighed, it had not been easy living the last few days, ever since Sol Badguy invaded their old base, the people here have been feeling a bit uneasy, fearing any sudden ambush from either the Holy Order or the Assassins Guild, and it wasn't like Chipp hadn't had any troubles of his own. 

     The new refugee was still blank and somehow empty, it needed a lot of work to be ready for transporting the refugees and providing a new food source and someone trustworthy to deliver it, they could not depend on their old supplier, it's too far away, and as well as providing a good shelter, and in the other task at hand, the drug shipments had not changed course yet, meaning that it would probably arrive at time but at the old base, and there is a possibility that Holy Order would be there and waiting. 

     According to the statements and records, there was another problem at hand, to all what Chipp knew, the Assassins Guild had begun to stir trouble in the middle of town as well, they were getting ready for something, or perhaps, getting ready to strike and break the truce between the Guild and the Dragon clan? 

'_They wouldn't do that, it would do us an advantage and it would probably get them deeper in trouble._' The ninja pondered. 

     Walking silently through the empty ward, the building was abandoned as well, but it was cleaner than the old one and it was wider with more rooms, it was even at the forgotten outskirts of town. The new building provided safety, but it was a bit distant from supplying food, meaning that they won't be able to get much for a while or else they would draw suspicions towards them. 

     The ninja stopped, taking a good look at the middle hall where most of the refugees gathered, they were mostly poor old woman and little hungry children, Shelly was no different, Ayame had always cared for her since she was the one who found her. Shelly was abandoned when she was little and Ayame found her in a trash can, surrounded by dogs, it was a miracle she was even alive by the time they got there; but now she is five years old, running around pretending to be a female-ninja, sometimes even beat up the boys when they make her angry. 

"Sensei-sama!" the brown-headed man from the earlier night came in a hurry, "Sir! I have just received info that a man named Anji Mito had been spotted in the Holy Order Main." 

There was dead silence… Chipp's face went blank as his brilliant red eyes widened… 

'_Master looks shocked…_' The messenger gave his leader a minute to regained himself, "Shall I- continue, sir?"

Chipp swallowed and closed his eyes; he nodded and walked away, signing to the messenger to follow. 

"Well, our pawns in the Database Squad had found some info you might find valuable," the messenger said quietly as he followed his leader, "Sol Badguy had been sent to the Military Colony northwest and sergeant Ky is unallocated just yet, but he is after Venom for all we know." He began, "As for Mito, there is a rumor that the Assassins Guild are after him, he-"

"What?" Chipp twisted around so suddenly, the messenger collided into him. 

"Oof!" feeling his nose, the brown-headed man looked at his master in startle, "Sir?" 

"Anji is here in town and those bastards are after him?" the silver-headed man hissed, "Where is he now?"

"Um, Anji Mito was last seen with the leader of the Holy Order's Swat team in the Main building up in France, sir." The messenger squeezed his head, doing his best to remember any other info he may've forgotten, "I can not remember the leader's name, all I know is that he is keeping a close eye on Mito." 

Chipp looked away, thinking to himself, '_They__ had better not touch a hair on his head… or else!_' he gritted his teeth. 

~*~*~*~*~

~*~*~*~*~ 

"Ouch!" Anji yelped, Baiken was running her fingers through his hair while she stood behind him, "Baiken! What are you doing?" he felt his scalp as he turned to look up at her. 

"Damn! Your hair has got some good texture, what do you wash it with?" she asked, interested. 

     The ebony-haired man and redheaded woman were still in the redhead's office, Anji was sitting on a couch when she came from behind and ran her gloved hands through his hair, but seemingly there were a few tangles and she accidentally tugged a few, and it hurts when you tug on someone's hair by surprise!

"Nothing! I just keep it clean whenever I can." He pouted, feeling his head. 

Baiken drew out her hands and then walked around the couch, sitting next to him, she still had her suit on, "Well sorry, but I can see that your hair is better than mine," she admitted, "it looks so rich and shiny." She shrugged. 

"Well you've got nice hair too, although it used to look better." Anji arched a brow, "Have you been eating well, lately?"

"Not really, I don't even have time to breathe sometimes, so what of eating!" she shrugged, "Besides, all they have here are French, I couldn't find a single decent ramen shop in the entire town, I'm sick of it." She pouted, "I've gotten so used on these French delicacies I've forgotten how to hold the chopsticks." 

Anji gave a face, "No, honestly?" he asked. 

"Really! Every time I hold the chopstick- it's like they don't like me, they keep slipping from between my fingers!" she argued, "Man I miss ramen… what would I do for a nice, thick bowl of those mouthwatering noodles." She sighed, "But who am I kidding? I can't even leave my office! The team might need me and I'm till my ears in files." 

"Take the day off." Anji said simply, shrugging a careless shoulder.

"Ha-ha! Not funny! If I leave who's gonna be in charge? Sergeant Ky? He's a kid and he has problems of his own anyway! Sergeant Kliff? No, he's too old and he's got problems of his own, too… you?" she asked mockingly, "You don't even know what I'm doing here exactly!" Baiken frowned, crossing her arms. 

Anji forked back a few black bangs, thinking. 

A minute later, Anji grinned and reach out to the woman's pencil holder and took out two, "Practice on these!" he suggested, fitting them perfectly between his own, he let the two pencil-tips touch and part like chopsticks. 

The woman took them and tried, but the one between her index finger and middle finger kept slipping out, "Aw~! I can't do it right." she whined. 

"Maybe that's because you're wearing a glove?" Anji smiled. 

"Maybe it's because it's not my real hand." She hissed. 

Anji paused, he knotted his brows, "We talked about it, and as long as no one knows then don't think about it!" 

"You and I are the only ones who know, Anji." she began, "But even so I can't get it out of my head…" she hung her head, devastated, "I'm sorry." 

     The ebony-haired man scooted closer, gently pulling her into his arms, hugging; his head rested on her own, his arms firmly, but lovingly holding her nice and tight, he smiled while nuzzling her head, whispering words of love and comfort, she only sighed, relaxing in his arms, snuggling into his warm welcoming embrace. Heads touching, the pair did not notice the stranger who stepped into the room. Anji and Baiken only nuzzled a little more, smiling. 

"Excuse me?" a hesitant voice spoke, "Lady Baiken?" 

"Huh?" embarrassedly startled, Baiken twisted her neck to look behind her, the one who stood behind the couch was none other than Ace; one of her Team members. "Ace? What are you doing here?" she asked, quickly popping up to her feet, heart throbbing and her cheeks warm, "Why didn't know knock?" she scolded. 

"I always walk into you office without knocking and you never complained about it." The youth hissed back.

     Baiken groaned, irritated and crossed her arms, she knew the kid liked her, but it was beginning to get on her nerves, but as for Anji, he could sense- discomfort in the boy's voice, so he scanned him. Bright brown eyes glared from under those brown bangs, Ace spared the dancer a quick glare before swallowing, he had to admit, Anji was older and much better looking than Ace, himself!

Ace faced his redheaded leader, "Anyway, the Chopper you sent to pick up Sol Badguy had not returned, and when I tried to contact it didn't respond." he told, "All we heard was the wind."

Baiken knotted her brows, "Why was that?"

"We don't know, Sophie and Cobra had gone ahead to check out what happened, the back up team is ready to go, milady." Ace explained.

The redhead looked back at the dancer who only shrugged, "I cant," she told, "I have a mission right now and I need you to fill in for me, would you, Ace?" she smiled.

The youth was startled, "Fill- in for you?" he asked, confused, "Why? What mission are you attending?" 

"It's a bit risky so I'm afraid I can't tell you." She soothed, "But stop worrying about me, kid! You have a job to do, so move it!" she laughed, grabbing the boy by the shoulders, pushing him to the door, "Report to Sergeant Ky if you find anything, alright?" 

"What about you?" 

"I'll be busy, so just do it, alright?"

"Um, alright…" Ace frowned, "Good day milady, and good luck with whatever mission you have."

"Well good luck to you to, Damon." She smiled, slowly closing her office's door.

"Uh… yeah, right." He mumbled, looking irritated, he walked away. 

Inside: 

"Mission?" Anji arched a brow, "What kind of mission?" he smirked. 

"Now, don't you go getting any of those naughty ideas of yours, buster!" she smiled, yet glared the dancer, "I'm going to the White Dragon's old base." She informed, "Thanks to Sol's info, all I have to do is go there and let them think I'm a refugee and they'll take me in, wont they?" 

"Get real! Chipp won't fall for something **that** obvious!" 

"How obvious?" she asked, weight shifted to one leg while cupping her hips. 

"**Too** obvious! A beautiful woman like you would easily be caught!" 

"And that is why I'm taking you with me!" she informed while turning around to face her desk, slipping off the gloves.

"Huh?" he blinked.

"I want you to come with me and convince your old buddy-buddy that I'm a helpless damsel that needs a home!" she cutely smiled at him before she turned around, facing her desk again, slowly removing the armor from over her left shoulder. 

Face practically burning up, Anji swallowed the hard knot in his throat, "Uh, B- Baiken? What do you think your doing?" he asked while she took off her top armor, exposing that black-turtle neck sweater from earlier.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she asked lazily and mockingly, not expecting an answer, taking off her vest and shin-protectors, and then she drew off her shoes. 

Anji fixed his bugged-eyes to her huge breasts, '_God! They look so much bigger without that vest covering them!_' he thought, swallowing another hard knot in his throat, "You look like your stripping!" he said, unthinkingly. 

Bug-eyed, she stared at him blankly…

**_BAM!!!!_**

"**Ow~!!**" wincing in utter pain, Anji clutched his face, spectacles knocked off, "What the hell was that for?" he cried in fury, a nasty red spot injuring his face right between the eyes as he comically popped a vein. 

"Pervert!" she hissed, now throwing her other metal toed boot at him. 

"Yipe!" Anji leaped off the couch and ducked behind it, the boot smacked into the couch with a softened '_thump!_' so he peeked up, picked up his spectacles, placing them on his nose and then nervously argued, "What? Are you trying to kill me?" 

"Shut up!" she threw her shin-protector at him. 

"Ah!" he cried and ducked again, it flew right over and smacked into the wall with a loud '_Clunk!_' 

'_Striping he said… the nerve!!!_' the redheaded woman growled to herself, blushing beat red, "The nerve of these perverted ideas of yours." she hissed at him, now wearing her black turtle-neck sweater and simple black slacks.

"Well, Gee I'm sorry! What am I supposed to think when I'm with a pretty lady, -and she's taking off her clothes, if I may add- all by ourselves in a room?"

"What? I make your hormones boil?" she smirked. 

Anji's skin pin prickled, "Well I- Uh… it's just… I-… you…" he stuttered, nervously toying with his fingers, paused and then looked at her enjoyed expression, "Aw~ forget it!" he whined, turning around, giving her his back, muttering to himself, his cheeks were blushing in bright tomato-red. 

Baiken giggled, "Oh alright. Fine." She laughed, picking up her armor, placing it on her desk, "Give me a minute, I'll be right back." She told and entered a next by, smaller room. 

"Yeah, whatever…" he mumbled.

     Anji stared, he had always seen that door, but he never knew what was behind it, '_A lavatory? Nah, she doesn't need one so close to her office!_' he pondered, '_It would only be a dressing room, then._' He nodded to himself, '_Women adore dresses, she must have a whole cabinet of dresses in there,_' he paused, '_or maybe not, Baiken is pretty scary sometimes, and she likes weapons, maybe it's her  weaponry room?_' he pouted in thought, '_Yeah that's possible, I remember her telling me about sword-collection once, so maybe it's in there?_' He stared at the door, '_A little look wouldn't hurt, right?_' he smiled and quietly strolled to the door, carefully peeking. 

All he saw was a quick flash of bare, pale skin… 

Stifling a gasp, he jumped back, blushing, '_Sh**! I can't believe I did that!_' he rubbed his eyes and walked away, blushing beat red, looking at a portiere, he was trying to keep himself busy. 

Ten minutes later: 

Baiken walked out, "Hey! Sorry I took so long, I- ?" she paused, the dancer was sitting on the couch, brows arched high, he was lazily pretending to be deep in sleep, he was snoring, too, "Aw C'mon I didn't take that long!" she whined, faintly flushing.

Swallowing, Anji blinked lazily before his eyes went wide and bug-eyed, "Wow mama!" he gapped, his lower chin functioned by itself for a few times before his voice finally came out, "Baiken? Is that you?"

     The redheaded woman wore a simple dark-blue blouse, but she still had turtle-neck sweater on but it was white this time, she also wore thick slacks with heavy, black-leather boots and a shawl, the kind that comes with those little strings at the end for decoration, he hair was not in a bun anymore, it was like a red, silken cloth over her head, a beautiful red crown that reached at the way down to her hip. 

"What? Did I wear something too flashy?" she asked, "You see, that's why I took so long, I couldn't fine anything- humble!" she shrugged. 

"No! You look fine, it's just that- you forgot your arm." He pointed to her still armored right arm. 

She looked at it, "Um," hesitant, she touched her arm before arching a cute look at the dancer, "do you think he'd notice?" 

"Baiken, honestly!" he cooed, "You have to leave it; if you take it along you'll be caught right from the start!" 

The woman sighed, "Oh alright!" she whined, she walked to the dancer and gave him her back, "You see the little hatch near my shoulder blade?" 

Anji looked at the shoulder-plate and a little tip was showing, "Yeah? Do I pull it?"

"No, just flick it upwards." She informed, and he did as told. 

     The tip clicked and the sound of pressed air started hissing before her arm went limb, so Baiken reached her left arm and twisted the right arm's shoulder-armor around twice before she crocked it open, revealing the true look of her arm. Baiken's arm was missing till the elbow joint, it looked as if it had been cut off by something sharp, yet it also appears that it happens a very long time ago. 

Anji watched her as she placed the arm on her desk, her right arm's empty sleeve simply dangled like a loose string, "Are you going to be alright without it?" he asked, a bit worried.

"I'll be fine." She halfheartedly smiled, "I'll leave a message for the guys so they wont worry." She went around her desk and to her computer, typing down her message, stood up, walked over to the dancer and then she tugged on the shawl with her lonely arm, covering her lost one, "Now… C'mon, let's go before anything else happens. 

"Alright." He nodded, escorting her out of her office and eventually out of the building… 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"What do you mean?" Axl whispered, carefully looking around his room, pressing over his ear where a little microphone was placed, "Sol?" he called; not getting a quick respond was scaring him. 

'_Keep it down, stupid! Wanna blow my cover?_' the hunter hissed as he peeked from over a bunch of stacked hardboard boxes, '_Alright, what section did you say they sent you?_' 

'_Um, I think it was- third floor, west wing, section B-4 and I'm in room number 4286…_' Axl whispered, '_Chief, when are you going to get here?_' the blond youth asked, he could not stand staying in that room for another minute, '_This place is so quiet its freaky!_' he whined. 

Sol grunted, "Tell me about it," he mumbled, "there are too many soldiers here from the Assassins Guild." He informed, carefully watching a few men with masks walk around his safe-spot, not noticing him, "Guess O' four eyes was right, they were faking when they made us think they really weren't here." He said, "I wonder if the mistress has a hand in this." 

"By the way, do you know how she looks like?" Axl asked, now quietly walking to his chamber's door, taking a peek outside through the mail-slot opening. 

"I dunno…" Sol replied blankly, clearly uninterested. 

     The chambers were not like prison cells like a jail, it was more like a very discipline hotel, or a boarding-school or such, you have to stay in your room all day and do nothing but read or play poker or such at noon, that's when the people in the colony get their time off, three hours only, the rest of the day they are either training or helplessly trying to pass time.

     The rooms themselves were nice and wide; each room had a bed, a study desk and a clothes cabinet, but the clothes were copies of each other, simple black or grey slacks and white or black long-sleeved, or none-sleeved shirts and sweaters, in other words, the only colors available were black, gray and white. The room had one door and one window, and since Axl was in the third floor, he couldn't just jump out, now could he? 

"Well anyway, at what floor are you now?" the British youth asked, nervously rubbing his arm for comfort. 

"I think I've just departed from the first floor, I'm advancing to the second now, so keep your panties on, alright?" Sol chuckled, teasing. 

"Very funny!" Axl muttered, faintly blushing, "And I wear boxers, by the way." He corrected, blushing even harder after realizing Sol was trying to stifle a loud laugh. Axl walked to his study desk and pouted, still carefully pressing on the microphone, nervously glancing at the door every now and then.

"Chief…" 

"Yeah…?" 

"I'm- sorry for getting you stuck in this," Axl sighed, forking back his golden hair, "if only I would've been able to control this crazy talent of mine, you never would've had to get stuck in this along with me…" and for some strange reason, Axl didn't receive the snickering taunt he expected, instead, all he heard was a slight chuckle, '_Sol…?_'

"Stupid kid… this isn't the time for apologies! I gotta get the head of this joint and get your ass outta here, remember?" Sol laughed, clearly sounding quite cheerful.

Axl's lips twitched with a suppressed smile, '_Thanks…_'

"Shaddap~!" Sol growled. 

Zoom in to Sol: 

The hunter was faintly blushing, crouching low even though he was in an elevator, "This is no time to go soft, stupid, I'm in the elevator right now." he informed and then paused, "Alright, you said you were in the west wing, room number- what?" he asked, and although Sol knew the number, he just needed to have it confirmed. 

"Room number 4286 I think." Axl mumbled, now resting back on the chair, staring blankly at the roof, "Chief." 

"What is it already?" Sol growled in annoyance, he quietly yet quickly paced through he empty wards towards the western wing, there was a label titled B-4 on the wall, "Speak up before I beat you up when I get there!" he hissed. 

Axl smirked to himself, "I just wanted to ask," he began quietly, trying his best not to go too deep in thought, "was there ever someone in your life?" 

There was dead silence… 

Axl waited, listening carefully, but for some reason, all he heard was- nervous breathing? "Chief…?" 

"Is that a trick question?" Sol abruptly asked, sounding confused. 

Axl laughed a little, "No I'm serious!" he told, "Was there ever someone important in your life? You know? A girl friend or a member of your family?" Axl asked.

There was dead silence again, but Axl was able to make out Sol's heavy boots clunking on the marble floor. 

"Chief…?"

"I have no family…" he replied coldly, "Now quit it with the questions before I beat you up when I find you, got it?" 

"Well, what about Dizzy?" Axl smirked. 

"**That's it!!!!**" Sol cried atop his lunges.

     Sols' cry buzzed in the microphone so hard Axl yelped and plucked it out of his ear, but he could see the microphone –comically!- jumping around and twitching while Sol's bad-mouthed-words shouted with static and buzzing across the room in the most frightening and threatening tone, promising immense and forever pain upon the unfortunate British soul. 

     Less than ten minutes later, Sol came, slamming the door with one hefty arm, Axl comically gained a sweat drop, he could practically sense Sol's –Dragon Install- aura as he came closer to him, the blond youth was so petrified, his face had gone white and his feet were glued to the floor, so when he tried to move, he fell on his rear, shaking in his slacks.

"Uh- We- We're buddies, right?" Axl chuckled, swallowing hard, "You'd never hurt me, right?"

Sol growled curses to himself while glaring the boy, furiously cracking his knuckles. 

Axl whimpered in fear when the hunter took a step closer, fist up and tight, ready for a punch. 

"Hold it right there!" a woman ordered, sounding a little blank. 

Sol twisted around, glaring the woman before he slowly took a step away from the British youth, regarding her appearance. 

Axl stopped whimpering to take a look as well.

     The woman wore a tight, bare-shouldered, half-way up the thigh, red-leather dress, it had a small lice-like band around her neck, yet it was exposing more of her bosom, the top side was like a vest that tucked her mounds together pretty tightly; her arms were bare and she wore fingerless gloved, she wore a witch's hat with black leather designing it to look a bit like a face of a skull; the woman also wore tall boots in leather red as well, as for the dress it was too tight on her body, showing every single motion she made as she moved. 

Oh, and there was a little white mouse on her shoulder. 

'_Aw sh**!_' Sol cured.

~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Well? O_o?


	7. chapter seven

Chapter Seven: 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hn?" Chipp looked up at the scroll at hand, it had some sort of green and gray scribbles on it, he paused, trying to make out what it resembles, and then looked back at the little child in from to him, "Uh, yeah, um… it looks really nice." He nervously chuckled, "What exactly is it?" he asked. 

Shelly, a little five-year old, black-haired, black-eyed orphan girl smiled cutely, "It's a pony!" she explained, "Look this is the head, and these are his feet, and this is the tail!" she giggled, pointing to each limb as she spoke. 

"Oh! Well, ponies aren't grey, Shelly-chan." Chipp smiled halfheartedly, "Donkeys are the ones that are usually grey." He told. 

"Oh?" the girl blinked, "Well, I couldn't find the black crayon so I used the grey." She cutely pouted.

"Well, to say the truth, there are a few horses that are grey, but for all I know that kind has black spots on the back side of its body." Chipp told. 

"Oh, okay! I'll go draw them then!" Shelly giggled happily, took the scroll and ran off to some random direction. 

"Sensei-sama!" Ayame came in hurry, "I have just received important news!" she panted. 

"What? What is it?" he asked, confused and alert. 

"Anji Mito had been located at our borders," she told, "there was a woman with him as well."

Chipp blinked, "A woman?" he gawked, '_God, don't tell me he's married!_' the ninja knotted his brows, grinning, "Where are they exactly?" 

"They were seen in our old base, it looks like they're refugees, sir." She told, "Akuma-sensei is leading them here right now, what are your commands, sir?" 

Chipp took a deep breath and then gave a firm face, "Secure the area and make sure no one follows them, get them here and get them as fast and as safely as you can." 

"Hai!" she nodded, quickly leaping away. 

     The ninja-leader waited for minutes, but if felt likes ages, he and Mito had not seen each other for so long, he even forgot how his old childhood friend looked like! '_Let's refresh it a little,_' he thought to himself, '_he had black hair, brown eyes, a big stupid grin and geeky swirly glasses._' He smiled to himself, '_I doubt he's the woman's kind of man._' He chuckled to himself, '_I wonder if he changed for at lease a bit._'

"Sir," Ayame sensei arrived, "Anji Mito and a woman named Baiken would like to meet you." She informed. 

"Let them in." the albino-leader nodded, waving a hand. 

"Hai." The messenger woman bowed, she turned around and motioned for two figures to come closer, "Identify yourselves, please." She quietly asked.  

     Chipp swallowed, right before him, he saw a damn good looking man with awesome, thick black hair, a familiar stupid grin and tiny spectacles instead of the expected big-framed glasses; and right besides him stood a beautiful angel from the heavens, glorious bloody-red hair over cute pink cheeks and a brilliant peach-colored eye, her other eye was hidden under her beautiful forelock long bangs, her lips were thin, but they gave her a more of a childish smile. 

"Zanuff!" the ebony-haired man chuckled, "Man! Long time no see!" he advanced to the leader, arms wide for an embrace. 

The redheaded woman blinked in curiously; seemingly she was a bit confused. 

Chipp grinned, "Mito! Great to see ya!" 

     The two men walked calmly towards each other, but without any warning, they punched each other in the gut, the two women gasped in start, gawking, but then comically gained swat drops as the two men only bust out and laughed, hugging each other, laughing like idiots. 

'_Men have a weird way in expressing themselves…_' Baiken gained a sweat drop. 

"So? Who's that? Your wife?" the albino spared the redhead a smirk.

Baiken blushed.

"Uh- actually, we're friends." Anji chuckled, "But anyway, how've you been? I haven't seen you in ages!" he laughed, "You got your ears pierced, I see." He touched the little red-earrings in the albino's earlobe. 

"Uh, yeah, been doing a lot of things lately… you?" the albino smiled.

"Oh this and that, I've been trying to collect info about the history of the past." The ebony-haired man shrugged, "Much info had been lost because of the war, you know." 

"Tell me about it." The albino knotted his brows, but then smothered it with a laugh, arm curling over his friend's neck, playfully fighting as if he was trying to strangle him, "But forget about that! How's life? You got any kids yet?" 

"W- What?" the dancer blushed, "Aw~ Chipp, quit it!" he argued, "Quit it or else!" 

"Or else what?" the ninja laughed. 

"Or else **this!**" the dancer laughed as well, his hands flexibly twisting around to grab the ninja's waste, he began to tickle. 

     The two men fell to the floor, laughing and fighting like two cats, rolling over each other, around and around, but they were enjoying themselves none the less, everyone in the building were staring at them, Ayame and Baiken stared as them, embarrassed of how two full-grown men could act so childishly, it was humiliating! Baiken blushed hard, cupping her face, hiding it with her lonely hand. 

"Damn, look at you! You're hair had grown so long I thought you were a girl!" Chipp laughed, he pinned Anji's arms behind his back, "Hold still!" he grunted. 

"I thought the same with the cute-little earrings!" the dancer laughed, quickly rolling over and grabbing the ninja by the lace, now twisting around pining him down, "Hah! Gotcha!" 

"Hey! These are a good luck charm!" the ninja pouted, fighting to throw the dancer off him. 

"Guys!" Baiken cried, '**_Everyone is staring at us!_**' she hissed, cheeks bright red. 

"Hey? Cant old friends have a little fun?" the two argued in unity. 

"Well for God's sake-you can't have fun while looking like **that!**" she argued, extending a flat hand at them, pointing.

The two men scanned each other… they were flat atop each other… 

"Oh- My- **God!**" Anji gasped, quickly jumping off, face beat red, he covered his face, too humiliated to stare back at the crowed, but then something hit him, "**It's not what you think!!!**" he twisted around to face the redheaded woman, bug-eyed, his face turned white.

Baiken's face was pale, hand still on her face, but he couldn't see that because she turned around before he faced her, he was staring at her back, "Yeah, Sure you aren't…" she whispered. 

Chipp griped a handful of his thick, silver-white hair, his ashen face was bright red as well, he embarrassedly gave baby eyes to Ayame-sensei, but he was too humiliated to say anything, so he just shrugged with a nervous chuckle. 

"How about lunch?" Ayame nervously offered, but the people only stared at her blankly. 

Hours later, at night: 

"Oh, so that's all?" Chipp blinked, "What do you think they want?" 

The redheaded woman shrugged, "Wish I knew." she replied, she then turned to take a glance at the ebony-haired dancer as he playfully teased a little girl, "He sure loves kids,  huh?" she smiled.

Chipp turned to the playing pair, Ayame sensei was watching other them anyway, "Yeah. Anji loved kids ever since **we** were kids," the ninja chuckled, "I remember that he's his family's only child, he used to come to me and whine, _'Oh I wish I had other siblings, I hate being alone!_' he would always rant." 

"I heard that, and no, I don't rant!" Anji whined, the little girl on his shoulders, playing, "What? Is it a crime to express my thoughts?" he pouted. 

"Oji-san is really nice! Shelly likes Oji-san!" the little girl giggled happily, her chubby little hands grabbing a handful of the dancer's thick black hair. 

"Now Shelly, don't tug on his hair!" Ayame sensei instructed. 

"No, it's alright! It doesn't hurt!" Anji smiled at the woman. 

The woman pressed her lips, looking a bit nervous, "Oh, alright." She nodded. 

"Ayame sensei," Chipp called, "You can leave, it's alright." He comforted. 

"But-" the woman never continued, looking worriedly at the little girl. 

Anji and Shelly didn't notice that because they were busy playing, laughing in enjoyment. 

Baiken caught the other woman's glance, there was something bothering this ninja woman,  but maybe she shouldn't ask.

Ayame swallowed, bowed to their leader and them walked away, leaving the room. 

"So! Baiken, is it?" Chipp smiled, daring to scoot closer to the cute redhead, _'Just what is it between you and Anji, huh?_' 

Baiken blushed, "Nothing! We're just- friend!" she shrugged. 

"Yeah right, you expect me to believe that Mito got to befriend a gorgeous woman like you and never considered the thought of actually flirting with her?" the ninja playfully shoved her with his shoulder, "Gimmy a brake!" he laughed.

Baiken comically gained a sweat drop, "Are you kidding, he flirts with every woman he lays his pretty-brown eyes on." She said sardonically, "He's not that flirty, though." 

"Sure he isn't…" Chipp laughed, paused and then his eyes went wide. 

Anji and Shelly were breathing down his neck… 

"Chipp~!" Anji hissed, comically, veins were popping over his head. 

Shelly only glared the elder albino, pouting. 

Two hours later… 

"NO!" Anji cried, blushing beat red.

"YES!! Damn!! Admit it already!!" Chipp shouted, laughing in victory.

"NO!!!!!" Anji cried back.

Baiken sighed, she gained an enormous sweat drop. 

"Oba-chan~!" Shelly cutely purred, she was sitting in the redhead's lap, "Why are sensei-sama and Oji-san fighting so much?" 

"It's because they are idiots." Baiken smiled, hugging the little child, "Men are idiots, so try your best not to date stupid men, alright?" she cooed. 

"Hai!" the little girl nodded, grinning wide. 

Anji and Chipp paused their argument to glare stupidly the two females, veins comically pounding over their heads. 

There was slight knocking on the door, Ayame-sensei walked in, "Excuse me, Shelly-chan! It's bed time." She called. 

"Aw~! I dun wanna!" the child grabbed the redheaded  woman's sash, "I wanna stay with Oba-chan!" she pouted. 

Baiken got nervous, Shelly was gripping the wrong side of the sash, "Now c'mon, you wanna wake up early tomorrow, you have to sleep early!" the child didn't buy it, "Listen, early to bed early to rise makes a person good healthy and wise!" 

"Isn't that: healthy, wealthy and wise?" Anji arched a brow, correcting. 

"Whatever…" Baiken shrugged. 

Ayame walked towards the woman, now scooping the child in her arms, "Never mined that, c'mon Shelly chan." She cooed, walking outside the room. 

"Aw~! Shelly-chan wants to stay with Oji-san and Oba-chan and Sensei-sama!" she argued, whining like a brat. 

"Shelly! They aren't going anywhere, you'll see them tomorrow, right?" the woman turned to face the three. 

Baiken and Anji stared at each other and then shrugged. 

"They're staying here for tonight, you can see them tomorrow." Chipp assured, "Now go to bed you little rascal!" 

"Hai~!" Shelly giggled, "Oji-san! Can we play together tomorrow, too?" 

"Sure!" Anji smiled. 

The little girl giggled happily, "Okay! I wanna go to bed now, Ayame-sensei!" 

Ayame smiled, bowed respectfully to their master and friends before exiting the room. 

Baiken smiled, she turned to continue her conversation with the ninja master when she noticed he was staring away; following his gaze, the albino was staring at the dancer who was staring blankly at the door. 

"Sigh…" Anji knotted his brows, he sat on the floor with a soft thud before propping his chin on his hand, bored, "Okay, what do we do now?" he said in boredom. 

"Nothing I guess." Chip crossed his arms, "Care to talk about whatever it is you were doing before you came here?" 

Anji blinked, "Not really, I don't feel like talking right about now." He slumped on his side, a position close to his dust except that he was poking a finger in his ear.

"That bored, huh?" Chipp said, he and Baiken comically gained sweat drops. 

Baiken suppressed a smile, listening to the two old childhood friend rant and bicker back and forth, she shook her head, it reminded her so much of Sergeant Ky and Ace when they have an argument, '_I wonder what Sergeant Ky is doing right now…_' she pondered.

~*~*~*~*~

In the mean time…

~*~*~*~*~

"Sergeant Ky, Sir!" Ace saluted the man in command, "I have just received info that her ladyship had accessed the base successfully."

Ky looked over the knight, placing down a file, "And?"

"They have not been discovered just yet, but I believe that they are doing fine for now." Ace flipped a file open and began to read, "Nothing to report from them just yet though, I think everything is going according to plan." 

Ky nodded, "Good." He took a moment to think, "Anything about Sol yet?" 

"No sir, nothing of yet." Ace told, "Would you like me to investigate?" 

"No, Sophie and Cobra are at it, they should contact us soon." The youth sighed heavily, clearly tired. 

**_Beep!!!_**

Ky was taken off guard, he comically jumped in his seat, staring bug-eyed at his mobile, he picked it up and replied, "Hello?"

Ace blinked quizzically, listening; perhaps it's a new mission? 

"Sol!" Ky gaped, "Took you long enough! Where- huh? No… yes… no… y-es… uh, no? Well yeah… no… yes… no…"

Ace gained a sweat drop, the sergeant had comically been knocked of and fell off his leather seat when the mobile suddenly stared jilting around enthusiastically with the hunter's voice causing annoying, ear piercing static, Sol's voice was clearly a boiling stream of bad-mouthed cursing.

Ky finally managed to climb back to his desk and grab the jumping mobile, "Sol! Sol? Sol!!! Please listen to me! I- No, it's- Hey! No I'm- SOL!!!!" he shouted, a fist bashing loud against the fine-Almond desk, "listen to me for God's sake!" 

Ace blinked, his ears oddly twitched, something just didn't feel right. 

Ky listened to the call, nodding a few times, "Alright, so it's true?" there were more nodding, "I see, when would it be?" the knight reached out for a pen and then tugged on a near by paper, he started writing something down. 

Ace swallowed, ears twitching even more, his bright brown eyes fixed to the paper. 

Suddenly, Ky stopped, eyes bugged-out… 

"**What?**" he cried, "When?" 

Sol spoke on the other side of the line. 

"Damn it!" Ky growled, "It doesn't matter! Just get there before they do! Lady Baiken is still there! If they get there before we do then it's all over!" the knight growled. 

Sol replied, sounding evenly irritated. 

"Fine, get there anyway, I'll take the swat team there right now, over." He hung up, "Alright, Ace, I want you to-"

The brown-eyed youth was already gone… 

"Great…"Ky growled, angry and irritated. 

~*~*~*~*~

"Location?" silver, long bangs fluttered with the rushing wind, Venom forked back a few bangs as he scanned the area, this chopper he stole was a bright idea, not only do people not see in the middle of this night,, and even if they did, they'd simply think it's just a security team, they wont send after them and the Holy Order wont know what hit them! 

"Outskirts of town, sir." The man with the eye patch replied, "Mito is coming closer in our range." 

"Heh," a mobster chuckled, "good thing you planted that bug on him boss, bright idea." He looked down at a red-clad woman with a cute, little white mouse over her shoulder. 

"That is why I'm the boss, idiot." The woman purred, making herself comfortable on that leather seat, she was sitting in the middle seat behind the pilot, Venom was sitting besides her, next to the window.

The man with the eye patch was sitting next to the pilot who was Raphael, "Well?" he asked, looking at the radar. 

"According to the bug her ladyship implanted, Mito is only ten minutes away," he told, "but I don't think there is a place fitting to land the chopper, the roof doesn't seem stable." 

"What do you mean?" the silver-headed leader asked. 

"Well, I've studied the constructions of such buildings, and according to my knowledge, that building was stopped because the pillars, they weren't strong enough, the one who watched over the construction cheated on the owner and used cheap metal bars, that building would easily fall down to pieces with any possible shake." 

"Possible shake?" the mobster asked, "What kind of cheap-sh** is that supposed to mean, brat?" he snarled. 

"I mean if this chopper lands on the roof, my possible calculation submit that it wouldn't stay there for less than three hours, the floor was the weakest of them all since there aren't many pillars supporting it from the lower levels." Raphael replied, bright-blue eyes widened, "And there it is!"

Venom stood and carefully looked over the youth's shoulder, "Are there any possible places to land?" 

"There is the next building, but I'm not sure of how much this chopper can stand," the blond youth replied, tapping the many little sensors before him on the control panel, "I think we're running low on fuel!" 

The red-clad woman scoffed, "Most likely of men, they always forget to be prepared." She laughed.

Venom ignored, he had his reasons to associate with this woman, but he just needed her aid, after all, she had contractions with the Holy Order military-support base, he needed to chopper!  

'_Just wait Mito… when this is over, I'll prove you how much you were a fool!_' the assassin thought to himself. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile: 

~*~*~*~*~*~

     Baiken bolted up, sitting, her red hair bounced off and over her face, her lonely peach eye scanned around the death silence, there was a strange tingle crawling coldly up her spine, but she couldn't pinpoint it. The woman's lonely arm rested flat on her chest, feeling her own heartbeats, that's when cute little Shelly mumbled in her bed, murmuring things that only she knew, Baiken could only smile, her lonely eye looked over the sleeping child, she reached out and tucked her sprawling figure back under the blanket. 

"You awake?" a man whispered. 

Baiken jerked around, Anji Mito was standing a few feet away, leaning against a doorframe, a sweet smile on his face, "Why are you still awake?" he asked, he wore blue slacks and a simple sleeveless white shirt, now his strangely quiet feet pattered towards her, he stopped and sat right besides her bed, "We've had a tiring day, you should be asleep by now." 

The woman smiled, "You're the one who should be sleeping like a log, after all, you were the idiot running like a five years old with Shelly through the first two hours of our arrival." She mocked. 

"She was begging me! I couldn't say no!" Anji quietly argued, leaning closer to the woman, "Didn't you ever wish to have kids of your own?"

Their noses touched, so the redhead blushed and pulled back, her lonely hand supporting her body, "I don't think so, buddy." She stifled a laugh, now sitting upright and pushing him back a little. 

"Hnn…" Anji purred, leaning back, his hands flat on her thighs, one hand curled around and his flat hand landed on her back, pulling her in half-embrace, '_C'mon… play with me here._' He whined like a sad puppy.

'**_Anji!_**' the woman stifled a scream, face beat red, her lonely hand clutched his face, roughly pushing him back, '_Hentai__! Behave! What if you wake her up?_' she motioned to the little, sleeping, mumbling girl.

Feeling his pressed-in nose, Anji pouted, '_Gee, you're no fun at all…_' he muttered, arched a brow then smirked again, '_By the way, I noticed that Chipp really liked you back there._' He smiled. 

The woman shot him a death glare, she was just about to reply when light flashed through the nearby window, "Huh?" 

There was panic… 

"Sir!!!" three messengers from earlier came out running to the master's dorm, "Sir! Assassins at twelve 'o clock!" the brew-headed one warned, "It's an ambush!"

"I **know!**" Chipp growled, ending his dressing with clicking on his scythe glove, "What took you guys so long?" 

The blond messenger continued, "Sorry sensei-sama, the assassins have provided a Holy Order chopper, we first thought it was one of the patrol choppers until we noticed that one of them had a gun."

"Sniper rifle, actually." The black-haired man corrected.

The two messengers -blond and brown headed one- bonked him –the black-headed one- on the head, "Shut up!" 

Chipp growled, "Secure all the area! Move all the refugees to the basement, on the double." 

"**Hai****!**" the tree replied,  quickly each parted towards another way.

"Chipp!" Anji came running, blue slacks and a white sleeveless shirt on, "What's going on? What's happening?" he panted. 

"We're under attack! The assassins found us…" the ninja growled, putting on his scarf.

"What? How?" Anji asked, dumfounded. 

"Anji!" Baiken arrived, she wore a white kimono, her bare feet on the cold marble floor, "Hey! What's going on?" she glanced from the ebony-haired man to the albino and back. 

"Venom found us." Anji breathed, "You go back to the others, help them secure the area, I'll going with Chipp to-"

"No!" she interrupted, "You are not risking you ass on that!" she argued, now her lonely hand grabbed the dancer's ear, pulling his head to her level, "I'm taking you someone where you cant hurt yourself." She growled, tugging his ear as she left. 

Anji blushed beat red, "**Baiken!!!**" he argued, "I can walk on my own! Really!" 

"Shut up! I'm hearing none of it, you big showoff!!" she growled, "Every time something goes wrong you just have to stuff your nose in it, damn it! Why do you always do that?" she shook her head in anger. 

Chipp grinned like an idiot, following them quietly.

Anji desperately tried to release his hurting ear, when he noticed his childhood friend he waved his hands in a '_Help me over here, Damn it!!_' gesture.  

Chipp smiled wildly, poking a finger in his ear, ignoring. 

Baiken stopped, turned around and glared the ninja, her hair now all fluttered back, no forelock to cover her face, "What do you want?" she growled. 

Chipp raised his hands in self defense, but was taken back at seeing her scared eye for the first time, he decided to ignore, "Nothing! I was heading out to kick some ass," he told, then smiled and poked a finger to the ebony-haired man, "but I think you're beginning to hurt Anji's ear." 

"Good! Let it hurt!" she shook the man's head to the point where you'd think the ear would just get plucked off, "He's been giving me nothing but trouble ever since I first laid hands on him!" she growled. 

Chipp arched a brow, leaning to face the woman's level, "_Laid hands on him?_" he grinned, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Baiken blushed, she glared the ninja then the dancer, snorted and the released the ear, grumbling to herself, "… and don't you dare come crying to me when you don't like it!" she hissed at the dancer and stomped away. 

"Don't like what?" Chip argued, suppressing a laugh. 

Anji rubbed his pained ear, "Ow~!" he bit his lower lip and sighed, "Thanks, I owe you one."  

"That'd be fifteen…" the ninja chuckled, hands cupping his waist, Anji went bug-eyed and was about to respond when the ninja cut-in, "No, I never lost count." He grinned. 

Anji gained a sweat drop, "You're a tough one." 

"Thanks!" 

**_BONK! _**

****

**_BONK!_**

"Would you idiots stop that! We're under attack!" Baiken hissed, a cane at hand, shaking it with rage, she cursed everything and anything male before stomping back out.

Anji felt his now newly added sore-lump, "She's angry…" 

"No kidding!" Chipp felt his lump, "Damn! She hits hard!" 

They took a few minutes bickering back and forth again, arguing about woman and short temper… 

The brown-headed messenger returned, "Sensei-sama! The refugees are all safe, but that crazy redhead refuses to go inside!" he complained. 

"Sh**!!!" Anji cursed, "Baiken!" 

"Hey! Wait up!" Chipp cried, following. 

The three ninjas from earlier arrived, and when they saw the two men dashing away, they quickly followed. 

Anji leaped and dashed through the wards until he reached the entrance of the level he was in, there he saw her, "Baiken!" 

There was silence… 

Silver hair danced alongside red… 

"So we meet again, Mito?" Venom hissed, the woman unconsciously leaning against his body, he had his arms wrapped  around her waist, his head dangerously closer to her head where it rested on his shoulder. 

Anji's blood began to boil, he swallowed hard, jaws closed tight, teeth gritted, maintaining his temper, "What- have you done to her?" he glared, hands fisted tight.

"Nothing." The assassin leader spoke, soft and clear, that was until the chopper came closer to the window, his hair flutterer away from his face, revealing brilliant-blue eyes, "Farewell." He jumped back and into the chopper. 

"**Wait!**" Anji cried, dashing as fast as he could towards the broken window, "Baiken!" he leaped.

"Gu- ?" Venom stared, the dancer had attached himself to his leg. 

"Boss!!!" the one with the eye patch squeaked, quickly grabbing his leader by the wrest, "Hold on!" 

"Whoa~!" Raphael, the one who was driving gasped, "Hey! Stop that! You're knocking our balance!" he argued, but then when he saw his leader falling, the one in one arm, holding to the plane's doorframe buy the other, Mito grabbing his leg, the blond youth gasped, "Holy Smock! Hold on!" 

The red-clad woman didn't even bother moving, she just grabbed the seat belt besides her and clicked it, watching the men struggle, she actually seemed enjoyed, her mouse was in her open palms, sleeping. 

"Anji!" Chipp arrived, breathless, "Anji hold on!" he cried.

"Let go, damn it!" the man with the eye patch hissed, beating Anji's hands in hope it would release his master's foot.

"Never!" chocolate-brown eyes glared up at the men, "Let her go!" he reached out to grab the woman's foot when the eye-patch guy smacked it away, "Gu- !" Anji was about to fall. 

"I think not, Mito." Venom hissed, shaking his loose foot, intending to kick the dancer in the face. 

Anji gasped, quickly flipping an arm, as if teleporting, a fan appeared between his fingers like magic. 

Venom stared, he turned to his comrade and shimmied a little, "Here, take the woman." 

"But-?" the leader's gaze was demanding, so the eye-patch man did as told and scooped the woman away, "Hey! She's  lighter than she looks!" he stupidly chuckled, "And cuter up close, too." He smirked. 

"Baiken!" Anji cried, he waved a fan, wanting to get closer to the woman. 

"Anji!" Chipp's cry sounded faint and distant, one because the dancer was up in the air, two was because he was furthering from the building and three was because the chopper's propellers were too damn loud!

"Aw man…" the dancer murmured to himself, he gazed down and saw nothing but darkness, they were furthering from the building and nothing was below him but cold, solid concrete. 

"Let us make a deal, shall we?" Venom carefully leaned down, crouching to where the dancer could hear him. 

"I think not." Anji hissed, dangling with one arm was beginning to hurt. 

"But you didn't even hear the offer." The leader smiled, silver hair fluttered with the gushing wind, "If you give me the fans, I would gladly pull you in where it's safe." 

"And if I said no?" Anji growled. 

Venom considered that, "I'll chop off your hand, knock you off and take the fans after you're dead."

"What are you going to do with her?" Anji managed to see the top of the woman's head, "You had better not-"

"You should worry for your own welfare, Mito." Venom interrupted quietly, "I would not let anything harm her." He said sincerely, "You have my word." He added, now reaching out a hand to the dancer. 

Anji stared, the assassin sounded so honest, he looked from the redheaded woman to the leader and then back down at his fans, paused and gazed below him, nothing but darkness, his breath became ragged, it was getting cold and his arm began to tingle, he frowned, thinking deeply. 

"You don't have much time, Mito." Venom drew back his hand, "If you wish to see her awake, give me the fans." 

Anji growled something only he knew, snapped the fans shut and extended it upwards to the assassin. 

Venom slowly reached out to it, he took it, quietly studying the dancer's cold gaze, brilliant blue eyes stared back, "Pull him up." He ordered. 

The red-clad woman stared at the leader as he scooped the redhead from his comrade's arms, placing her on the seat besides her, the one with the eye patch pulled the dancer up, but then quickly pushed him around and tired his hands together.

The mobster snorted and glared at the back of Raphael's head, "Hey! Move it kid before sun rise!" 

Anji glared, "You had better not harm a hair on her head." He threatened. 

"We wont." Venom assured, then short the red-clad woman a glare, "Right?" 

The woman frowned, her lips twitching in annoyance, she gave a feminine '_Humph!_' before she turned away, looking at the dark-blue, star lit sky. 

"…"

"**Anji!**" Chipp cried, watching the chopper as it flew away, "Damn it!" 

"Sensei-sama!" Akuma sensei arrived, "The refugees are all safe, what are your orders?" 

"Secure the area, I'm going alone." The albino hissed. 

"What?" a woman gasped, it was Ayame-sensei, "But- Sensei-sama! You cant!" she argued, "Everyone here depends on you! You cant just go there and get yourself killed!" she told.

"I'll be fine, Ayame-sensei." Chip replied, "I'm off…" he told, gracefully leaping out of the broken window. 

"Sensie-sama!!" Ayame cried, stopping at the window where her master vanished, '_Chipp__…_' she whispered, her eyes went glassy, she pressed her fingertips to her lips in hope to stop herself from crying. 

"Ayame," the man-ninja behind her called, "if you're worried, go after him."

"I cant," she whispered, "I'm needed here." she sniffled, rubbing her temple, she twisted around, tears in her eyes, "Akuma sensei, could you-?" 

"I'll try." He nodded, "Just take care of the place while I'm gone, alright?" 

"Arigatou, Akuma-sensei." Ayame smiled, hesitantly walking away, probably back to the refugees. 

Akuma stared after her and shook his head, '_Such a worry worm…_' he chuckled, now leaping out of the window, following his masters tracks.

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: @_@


	8. chapter eight

Chapter Eight: 

~*~*~*~*~

     Anji fixed his chocolate brown eyes on the fainted redheaded woman, Venom sat besides her, daring to curl his arm around her, his hand on her shoulder while her head rested on his shoulder, as if she was his girlfriend or something. The red-clad woman ignored everything, her comrade, an ugly looking mobster stared blankly out of the window, a blond youth controlled the chopper while a man with an eye patch and nun-chucks watched over the sulking dancer. 

Anji looked aside for once, glaring the red-clad woman, but then the assassin spoke. 

"You're not being cooperative, Mito." Venom told, legs crossed, "You should relax a little." 

Anji only gritted his teeth, glaring, muttering curses. 

The man with the eye patch pocked the nun-chuck to the dancer's neck, "Watch who your talking to, buster." He hissed, now retrieving his weapon, frowning, "Mind if I beat him up, boss? He's been nothing but a pain in the ass!"

"Let him be…" Venom replied calmly, his hand now daring to slid up and caress the fainted woman's face. 

Anji muttered to himself before a pained moan jerked his attention, Baiken was waking up; "Baiken!" he called, worried. 

"Heaven to hell…" the redheaded woman groaned, sitting upright, her lonely hand rubbed her temple, "That hurt!" she whined, now curling over herself, her lonely hand cupped her face, "Why the hell do they always hit me in the guts? Cant they just drug me with sleeping pills or something? Don't they know how much it **hurts** to get hit backside the head or punched in the guts! I could turn blind damn it!" she complained, "I swear, if they punch my guts one my time, my stomach is gonna rip!" she groaned and hug her head in pain, "Ow… I need an ice pack."  

"Well, at least you're alive!" Anji spoke, getting her attention, "Hey!" he smiled wearily. 

"Anji?" the woman blinked, only to notice the legs that crossed besides her, she followed them to the end where brilliant blue eyes met, "You-!" she gawked, but then noticed the very small space they all were cramped in ,"Wh- where the hell are we?" she gazed around before fixing her gaze to the Assassin leader, "What's going on?" 

"We're heading home, and we're taking you as a guest, cupcake!" the eye-patch man laughed, but then smothered it with a cough when his leader glared at him. 

"I hate to say this, but you two are still needed." Venom spoke, now uncrossing his legs, he rested his elbows on his knees, fingers crossing while they supported his chin, he looked at the woman, "I need you to do me a favor,"

"I don't do favors!" Baiken hissed, still nursing her pained head, "And who's that dame, anyway?" she tilted her head to the red-clad woman. 

The red-clad woman turned to face her, strangely colored eyes glared, "The name is I-No, you little filthy sl*t!" she hissed.

Baiken popped a vein, so did Anji, "Take that back!" the woman shot. 

Anji only growled those words in his head, "You're I-No, correct?" he asked, then looked down at the little white mouse, "That must be Ginger, right?" 

"Ginger?" Venom blinked, looking at the little white mouse, "That is Ginger?" 

I-No suppressed a smile, "Yeah, this is my little baby, Ginger." She caressed the little mouse's back. 

Baiken slid off the seat and made herself comfortable next to Anji.

Venom watched, but did nothing, it wasn't like those two were going anywhere. 

'_You alright?_' Baiken reached back to fork away a few bangs from the dancer's face. 

'_I'm fine,_' Anji whispered, '_but they have Zessen now._'

Baiken knotted her brows, "What? How?" it came out louder than what she intended. 

"A switch." Venom replied quietly, "Anji wanted to see your beautiful face when you awake again, so he gave me the fans in exchange." 

Baiken gazed at the leader who sounded pretty much sure of what he was saying, she lightly bit her lower lip before facing the dancer, '_Is that true?_' she whispered, now daring to reach out her lonely hand, intertwining her fingers with the dancers.

Anji hung his head, earlobes and cheeks heating up, "Uh… yeah…"

Baiken's cheeks warmed up, she hung her head as well, drew back her hand to tuck a few strands of her crimson bangs behind her ear. 

Venom suppressed his amusement, clearly enough those two really liked each other, but each had problems expressing it.

The man with the eye-patch scratched his head, "Say boss," he called, "do you think it's a wise idea to head back to base while boarding a Holy Order chopper?" 

"We're not heading to base." Venom replied, "We are heading to the Ex-Disciplinary colony's building."

"Oh…" the man with the eye patch still looked confused, "I don't get it, wouldn't that draw attention?" he argued. 

Venom forked a few bangs of silver from his face, revealing brilliant blue eyes, "… no…" he replied bluntly, "Raphael, set course." 

"Yes sir!" the pilot replied, adjusting the path.

Anji suppressed a yawn, the way his jaws forced themselves open reminded him that he had not had enough sleep –if any!- the earlier night, he was tired. 

Baiken lovingly rubbed his arm for comfort, '_You__ alright? You look tired._' 

'_I am…_' the ebony-haired man sighed, he hung his head a little lower, forcing his spectacles to fall in his lap, eyes closed. 

The redheaded woman picked up the two frames of glass, she spared the assassin leader a glance, who seemed to completely ignore them on purpose, and then stashed them in her pocket.

Anji suppressed another yawn, '_Uh… damn I'm so beat…_' he whined tiredly. 

The redheaded woman couldn't help but stare at that brief moment when the dancer's fangs came to view, for a man, Anji's fangs were sharp, they looked pretty pointy for a human.

The mobster snorted, "Are we there yet?" 

The blond pilot shook his head, "Not just yet, five more minutes and we should be there."

I-No stared outside and then stared down at her lap, her little pet had woken up, now cutely sniffling around. 

"Sir!" Raphael shot, "I think we're being followed!" he tilted his head the tiniest bit, "There is something on the rooftops, it's following us." 

Venom scooted closer to the window and took a peek, "My, my… the assassins of the night had finally emerged."

"Who?" the eye-patch man asked. 

"Chipp Zanuff…" Venom replied, "Raphael, move closer to the roof," 

"What? What are you going to do, sir?" 

"I'm going to settle this," silver hair fluttered as the leader smacked the door open, silken bangs pushed back by the force of wind, "take our guests to the base and make sure they are un harmed;" he spared a glance at the mobster and the red-clad woman, they were giving the Japanese pair a hateful  look, "both of them!" 

"Sure boss!" the eye-patch man nodded, nun-chucks ready. 

Venom nodded, readying for the leap, "Just a little closer, boy." 

"Sir, are you sure?" Raphael asked, worried, "What if something happened?" 

"I'll be fine, see you back at base." He softly smiled, and strangely enough, he locked eyes with the started redheaded woman before clicking his pool-stick together and jumped out and off the chopper, landing unharmed on a rooftop.

Baiken tucked a few bangs behind her ear, the night's air was freezing! 

'_You know;_' Anji whispered to her, '_Venom sounds like a pretty nice guy, don't you think?_' he felt a little confused. 

Baiken forked a few bangs from the dancer's view before shaking her head, '_I dunno what to think anymore…_' she sighed. 

"Alright every buddy, hold on." Raphael informed as the chopper tilted aside, changing course. 

Anji and Baiken could only wait and see what would happen… 

~*~*~*~*~

     Long golden hair fluttered with the wind before curling over itself, as if it was alive, a woman with brilliant blue eyes and a long crown of blond hair watched the chopper as it flew away, a single shadow leaped out and landed on the rooftop, ignoring the shadow, the woman's extremely short garment fluttered with the cool breeze before her oddly twitching hair transformed into two giant wings, soaring low, following the chopper. 

~*~*~*~*~

Chipp, the head leader of the White-Dragon clan, stopped besides a chimney, ruby-red eyes shooting death glares to the calm assassin who stood before him, "You-!" he hissed, hands fisted tight, scythe ready, "What the hell do you want? What have you done to them?" he cried in demand, positioning for upcoming battle, "Answer me!" 

Venom positioned himself for battle, "That is none of your concern…" he said coldly.

"Oh yeah?" the ninja outstretched his arms, ready to attack, "Then answer me this: What the hell do you want of them?"

"That –as well- is none of your concern, either." Venom hissed. 

And they readied for the fight… 

~*~*~*~*~*~

Later- Assassin's base. 

"Ah, here we are." Raphael landed the chopper, "I hope the boss is doing alright." He stopped the engine, now standing off his seat.

"Yeah." The man with the eye-patch know his brows, "C'mon you two!" he scoffed at the Japanese pair. 

Anji heavily and carefully took a step out of the chopper before reaching out to hold the woman's hand. 

Baiken accepted it and slightly sprung off the chopper to the ground, she smiled at the Asian man and they followed the man with the eye-patch to their so-called guestroom. 

     The building they were at was dark and lingered with musky smells, something like thick dirt smeared with blood, car grease and similar offending smells. Baiken's lonely arm clinched to the dancer's hand, disgusted of the ugly smells and strange objects that were scattered around; later she realized that they were people! Most were either drunk, sleeping or just lazing off, smocking and looking plane dead, it was freaky. In response to her tight grasp, the dancer held her hand and smiled down at her with a comforting glance. 

'_This place is awful…_' she murmured.

'_Yeah… pretty hideous, too._' Anji commented. 

The red-clad woman walked pass them, her little white pet perched on her shoulder. 

The man with the eye-patch stood a few feet ahead while the mobster and Raphael were a few feet behind, "Move it you two! I don't have all night!" 

Raphael stretched out his arms, "You don't have to be so loud." he told.

The mobster only followed his mistress, but his freaky eyes were fixed on the redheaded woman. 

Baiken frowned, holding tighter to the ebony-haired man. 

"Alright, we're giving you the third class rooms." The man with the eye-patch announced to the Asian pair, "This way." he went up a staircase. 

Anji and Baiken followed, but when the red-clad woman and the mobster tried to follow, Raphael and the man with the eye-patch stopped them. 

"I beg pardon, ma'am, but you get the second class rooms." The man with the eye-patch explained, "This way." he took a few feet away, "Raphael, lead the jap's to their room, would you?" 

"Yes, sir." The blonde youth smiled and turned to the Asian pair, "This way please." He continued up the stairs and headed left. 

The man with the eye patch parted at the head of the stairs but headed right. 

Baiken eyed the red-clad woman then turned to the ebony-haired man, '_Why do I have a bad feeling towards that dame?_' 

Anji eyed her and smiled warmly, '_It'll be alright._' He hugged her tighter as they followed the blonde youth, '_We just have to stick together until we figure out a way out of here or until Chipp finds us._' 

     After a ten minute walk, the Asian pair reached a ward were four rooms, they seemed classy from the way the ward was clean and nicely decorated. Raphael stepped to the farthest room and pulled out a skeleton key from his pocket, he unlocked it and motioned for them to enter so they did. The Asian pair gawked for a few seconds at the marvelous decorations and lush furniture, the place was fit for a king!

"God! If this is the third class rooms-" the redheaded woman began. 

"I'd be damned how the second and first look like." Anji muttered, gazing up at the chandelier. 

Raphael chuckled, "I was surprised like you the first time I came here; I haven't seen the second or first class rooms, but I was told that they are for important people, the first is for master Venom." He told as he walked back to the door, "And you two don't have to worry about me, I'm a friend." He said quietly, "I'll be back later to serve you dinner, bye!" he merrily smiled and closed the door, soon locking it. 

Anji eased his grip on the woman and gazed about the room, "Do you think we can trust him?" he eyed her now.

The redhead shrugged, "He sounds pretty nice, but maybe it's a trick, we have to be careful." She frowned. 

"Right as always." He grinned, "Do you always do that?" 

"Do what?" she gazed at him, confused.

"Be right about things!" he smiled, "I mean- whenever you and I argue, you always get to be the one who's right!" he pouted, "I'd like to be right about something for once." He crossed his arms.

Baiken smiled and shook her head, "Aw~ you're such a child sometimes!" she walked away and made herself comfortable on a puny couch, only to find herself sinking in it, "Wow! This thing is pretty soft!" she blinked a few times and tried to stand up, "Damn! I think I'm stuck!" she blushed, her feet were merely an inch off the floor, "Anji! Help me over here!" she complained. 

The ebony haired man laughed, "Why should I? You look cuter that way!" he teased. 

Blushing hard, the woman struggled a little before pushing herself off the clutch of the puny seats, now landing on her knees, "Whew~!" she glared the couch, "If you were a person I'd throw you in the slammer for disturbing my peace! And you!" she pointed an accusing finger at the dancer, "You are his partner in crime! It'll be the slammer for you, lad!" she growled in a Scottish accent.  

Anji grinned, "Oy lass! I didn't mean it! I were only foolin'!" he replied in the same accent. 

It took a moment… 

They both started laughing at each other… 

"For a minute there I thought I were brave heart!" Anji chuckled, "You have a pretty cute Scottish accent, though." He said warmly. 

"Meh… you're not so bad yourself." She smiled back, now getting up to her knees and shooting glare at the couch again, "It was too soft!" 

"Let me try." The dancer turned to the couch and sat down, in a second he sunk in it like a rock in water "Whoa!!!" bug eyed he clutched the couches arms and pulled himself up, "Damn! You didn't say it was _this_ soft!" he argued, now pulling himself out, popping out like a cork he landed on his knees.  

The redhead laughed, "Suits you right!" she cupped her hip. 

With baby eyes, the dancer gazed up at her, "Do you enjoy being mean to me?"

"No, I just enjoy pocking at you." He smiled, "Get up already."

The dancer sat on his rear and crossed his legs, "I'd rather stay here, thank you." He crossed his arms and pouted. 

The woman gazed about for a minute. 

"Anji?" 

"Hai?" 

"What do you think Venom wants?" 

"Who knows! That guy could want anything!" he shrugged, paused and then clasped his arms behind his head, "But I wonder what he's doing to Zessen, though, I'm worried." 

"Why? I doubt he could use them, he's not Japanese you know." She shrugged a shoulder and then walked near him, now sitting besides him, her legs buckled beneath her. 

"That's what worries me." he began, "He knows that we know that he cant use Zessen because he knows that we know that he's not Japanese!" he smiled, "So since he knows that we know then he probably knows that we know and doesn't know how to use Zessen, I'm the only one who knows and he knows that I know and-"

"**I got it already!**" the woman shot, annoyed.

The dancer grinned at her, "Gotcha!" 

The woman blinked, pressed her lips in annoyance, "Ha ha! You crack me up, baka!" she muttered, halfheartedly smiling. 

The dancer smiled and dared to lean his body towards her, his head resting on her shoulder.

The redheaded woman blushed but didn't say anything, she paused for a second before resting her head on his, nuzzling him a little. 

'_Ai shitaru, Baiken-sama._' The man said quietly, nuzzling the woman's neck, his eyes closed. 

The woman blushed harder, "Baka…I told you not to call me that." Her lonely hand tucked a few strands of her red bangs behind her ear.

"When you are in love with someone then you are the slave, but when someone is in love with you then you are the master." Anji purred to her neck, "Right now, I find myself as nothing but a slave…" he nuzzled her throat, his arms daring to curl around her body daring to touch her lower back. 

With a startled squeak, the woman swung her hand on his hands and slapped them, "Kyaa! Hentai! Get off me!" she blushed and shoved him off, quickly popping to her feet, her face beat red and her heart racing in her chest. 

In reflex, Anji popped up to his feet and embraced her tightly, "You're not getting away from me!" he chuckled, he stared printing his lips on her neck. 

Struggling in his arms, and struggling with herself not wanting to laugh, the woman's lonely eye bugged out for a minute and she stopped struggling, "Uh- Anji! I think you should stop." She said quietly. 

Confused of her quiet suggestion, the dancer looked at her face only to notice that she's gazing at the ceiling so he followed her gaze. 

There was a camera watching them, it was hidden somewhere in the middle of the chandelier… 

"**_Oh My GOD!_**" Anji cried, releasing the woman with his face beat red, "They were watching us the whole time?" he cried, barely containing his embarrassment. 

Hand cupping her face, the woman silently nodded. 

"Perverts!" Anji hissed at the camera while shaking a fist, face still beat red, he groaned and turned away rubbing his temple. 

~* Elsewhere *~

Laughing with all his might, the man with the eye patch rubbed away his tears, "Aw man! That was rich!" 

Venom, with no scratch in sight, nor hair out of place, stood quietly at the television that provided the scenery of the room, but he had one hand on his face, suppressing his own laugher. 

"I thought that they wont notice it," Raphael said quietly, blushing. 

"I was hoping they'd get laid some time soon." The man with the eye-patch chuckled, that of course until a billiard pole struck his head, "Ouch!" 

"Behave!" Venom said quietly.

"Er- sorry, boss." The man rubbed his head. 

Raphael eyed the screen for a minute, "Sir," he began, "if I may ask, what happened to the ninja?" 

The silver haired assassin turned to the blonde youth, he forked back his silver bangs, revealing his brilliant blue eyes, "He almost died. Foolish man, fighting me with such an injury, it was practically suicide." 

"What happened then?" the man with the eye patch asked. 

"A comrade came in and saved him, I was about to finish him off, but then-" the leader eyed the screen, "he said something about her."

"The cute redhead?" the man with the eye patch asked again, he eyed the screen and scratched his head, still confused.

"I didn't know the White Dragon clan had strings in the Holy Orders!" Raphael frowned. 

"They have threads in the data base, thus they were able to detect our movements." The leader spoke. 

"Hey! What are they doing?" the man with the eye patch stared at the screen.

     Venom eyed the screen, the ebony haired man was whispering something to the woman and she was blushing beat red but nodded once. Raphael stared for a minute, watching the ebony haired man walk up to the chandelier while the woman took off her shawl, the man blocked the camera by wrapping the chandelier with the shawl. Venom sighed, he picked up a remote and inserted an order, a different camera began to function and providing them with the view of the room again. This new camera was very small, it was well hidden in a vase. 

"There, that should do it!" Anji spoke.

"But they can still hear us, right?" Baiken asked. 

"Yeah, I guess that means we have to be quiet for a while." Anji replied, "How about we start now?" 

"Whatever…" 

Venom leaned closer to the speakers, the two Japanese were visible due to the new camera providing the scenery, but their voices were too low. 

"What are they saying?" Raphael asked, confused. 

"I dunno, I cant hear them very well." The man with the eye patch replied. 

All of a sudden, the screen went blank, they were cut out… 

What happened? 

~*~*~*~*~

A/N: @_@... 


	9. chapter nine

============

Chapter nine: 

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Impossible!" I-No gasped, "Zato?" 

"Ah, Inou, it's been so long, I almost forgot how ugly you were." The black, ruby-eyed beast hissed, broad black wings flapped once as he landed atop a crate. 

I-No edged back, frowning, "I thought you were dead." 

     Eddie, who was known as the Assassin guilds past leader, Zato one, perched atop the rubble he had cause just a few minutes ago, he had crashed through the ceiling and brought chaos into the guild hidden base. Eddie's brilliant ruby red eyes lazily scanned the base, his muzzle wrinkled in disgust, he growled deep, a rumble was audible to all who were around. 

"I can see that you have ransacked the place, no?" he hissed, "Such a mess." he sneered. 

"Why are you here?" I-No, hissed, her follower stood behind her with a metal bar. 

"Want me to finish him off, boss?" the mobster growled. 

Ginger, the little white mouse was nowhere in sight, it had the red-clad woman worried; "No." I-No muttered, "Not now." 

There was the sound of metal-toed boots as a few people ran down the ward. 

"What is going on here?" the blue eyed, blonde rookie rasped, but when he laid eyes of the giant black beast, he gasped and almost toppled back in fright, "Ah! What the hell is that?" 

"Master Zato!" the man with the eye patch gawked, now standing behind Raphael, "You're alive!" he smiled, but it was confused, "But- how? We heard that you were annihilated!" he reasoned. 

Eddie eyed him, he sighed and rubbed his temple with his fine, thin fingers, "You ignorant human, I am no longer Zato One! I am now Eddie! This body you see me weld is merely a walking corpse! He and I are two different creatures." The beast explained, his broad wings sprouted from his back and hoped off the mountain of crates and rubble, landing gracefully and almost silently on the floor. 

     Venom arrived, now walking slowly out of the ward's dark spot, his ruin, the blue eye-shape that was drawn on his hair widened a bit before he forked away a few bangs, he eyed the black beast, the one with the brilliant red eyes. it was brilliant red versus brilliant blue. The master stood against her past teacher. Venom did not want it to be that way, but apparently, Eddie controlled Zato's corpse, meaning that Zato is really, after all dead.  

"I see." Venom hissed, his billiard pole gripped tight to the point where you can hear his gloves squeaking with the tight force. 

Eddie's brilliant white fangs shined as he grinned, "Ah! If it isn't the puppy! I haven't seen _you_ in a while." He chuckled, now daring a step closer to the group of humans before him, "You haven't changed much, though, still as scrawny as I remember." 

Venom posed for the upcoming battle, he released his hair and left it drape over his face. 

The man with the eye patch pulled out his nun chucks and readied for the fight, but Venom motioned for him to step back, so he did as told. 

I-No and the mobster stood back as well.

     Raphael stood up and brushed his seat, he eyed the beast as he came out closer and closer. Brilliant blue eyes widened as the ruby red pools suddenly turned to him, staring at him dead in the eye. Eddie turned his beastly face to the blonde youth and Raphael found himself frozen, not with fear, but with alertness. Eddie's clawed hand reached out and stroked the boy's pale face, and then grinned wider. 

"I see you have grown as well, no?" the beast lifted the boy's chin and gave his face a good look, "She'd be proud of you, seeing you here." 

Raphael's eyes blanked, "You- ?" 

Eddie laughed as he tossed away the boy with a playful shove, "And you actually think I'm dumb to not notice the resemblance?" 

Venom lowered his pole, confused and alarmed, "What do you mean?" 

Eddie glanced at the Assassin's current leader before turning to the youth sitting on the floor, "Have you not noticed it, pup? Strange, I thought you'd be the first to realize the critical state you are in." 

Raphael stood up and brushed his seat again, he glared the black beast and then drew a step back, "I have no idea what you're talking about!" he argued. 

Eddie was about to reply, but then he laughed and eyed the opening he had caused in the ceiling, "The answer is right there, whelp." He pointed to the top. 

      Venom forked a few silver bangs from his face before he frowned, a giant, golden winged creature had just swooped down through the ceiling, it landed right besides the youthful rookie, the wings limbed and landed on the floor with a soft thud, it scattered into many outstretched bangs, revealing itself as long, twitching  blonde hair; it framed a mellow face with sky-blue eyes and a short white-blue battle uniform.

"Millia!" Venom rasped, he eyed the youthful rookie and then the ex-Assassin woman, "Raphael!" 

"Are you alright, brother?" Millia's soft Russian voice spoke, "Have they harmed you?" 

"I'm fine, Sis." Raphael smiled wearily, "Are you alright? You took awfully long to get here." 

Millia eyed the black beast before the tiniest smile curled on her lips, "I just needed to call in some help." She eyed the ceiling. 

Three bodies jumped from the ceiling to land gracefully on the floor. well maybe except one who fell on his butt. 

"Ouch!!" Axl Low stood up and felt his rear.

Sol Badguy shook his head, eyeing the British youth with a huge sweat drop, "Che. a guy can't find good help these days." 

Ky Kiske comically gained a sweat drop, he sighed and eyed the Assassins leader, Venom, "Listen here! I came for Lady Baiken! You had better not have hurt her!" he pulled out his thunder sword, Fuuraiken, it started buzzing with the running energy. 

Sol licked his lips and readied for the upcoming fight, pulling out his fire-sword, Fuuenken, "Let's rock!"

Axl stood upright and pulled out his sickles, "Yahoo~! This had better be fun!" 

Millia sighed and shook her head, "Then again, maybe that wasn't such a good idea." she comically gained a sweat drop. 

Raphael arched a brow, the trio's entrance wasn't very encouraging. 

I-No looked away at the bounty hunter then at the blonde woman, "How the hell did you release him? The prison cell were electric!" 

Millia didn't bother looking at her, "I have my ways, besides, the control panel wasn't water proof!" she now spared the red-clad woman a smirk.

"Enough!" Ky barked, "Where have you taken lady Baiken?" he dashed to the red-clad woman.

I-No grinned and jumped back, she reached back and pulled her guitar in front of her, "Take this, boy!" she played a loud beat that caused vibrations across the room, everyone closed their ears, even Eddie. 

The black beast gave a sky shattering howl as he flew up and swooped across the humans towards the ward Venom had came from earlier, "That woman is mine! She'd make a better vessel than this weathered body I weld!" he laughed, his voice deep and thick in the echoes. 

"Wait!" Venom was about to leap after him when the blonde woman came in his way, "What- ?" 

"Badguy," Millia called loudly, "Go after Eddie, I'll handle this one." 

"Gladly!" Sol laughed and dashed after the black beast. 

Axl and Ky were in the challenge against I-No and her follower. 

Millia was against Venom, and Raphael was against the man with the eye patch. 

"Che. Traitor!" the man with the eye patch sneered, "I knew you were too good, the boss was right when he said to be careful around you." 

Raphael shrugged and pulled out a whip, it had a sharp knife-like head at the end, "Sorry, but my sister and I have issues here." 

The man with the eye patch gritted his teeth and readied his nun chucks, "Che.. fine then! I'll finish you here and now!" he sprung towards the youth.

"Just try!" Raphael leaped towards them, and the battle began. 

Venom eyed his follower and the blonde rookie fight, he eyed the ward where Eddie and Sol had vanished, growled and turned to the woman, "Of all times, why did you choose now?" 

Millia's cold, sky blue eyes flattened, "I have my reasons, and you are one of them." He hissed, her hair transformed into a giant hand with claws, "That is why I need to get rid or you before finishing off Eddie." 

"To kill him? Is that still your goal?" Venom hissed and brought down his pole, aiming a hit, but she dodged it. 

"Zato is already dead!" she snapped back, "What I wish to do now is to destroy Eddie." 

"They are completely different people!" Venom reasoned, "Zato had died, there is no reason why you should hunt a walking corpse!" 

"By hell I do!" she sneered and dashed at him. 

There were four battles. too confusing to follow them all. 

~* Sol? *~

     The riot bandit ran across the ward, following the black beast that gracefully soared through the building, Sol grinned and tried to smother it, that chase was really getting him on edge, he had fought many people throughout his life, but knowing that Eddie was a beast, not a human nor a Gear, it gave him a good reason to fight, Sol Badguy wanted to prove that he is the _best_ even when he's not doing his best! 

Will he be able to prove that? 

     Sol stopped at a ward, Eddie had stopped his flying and stood at the end of the ward, besides him was a door, it was broken to bits and pieces as if something forced itself out, seemingly, Eddie had just bashed it open before the hunter got there. The black beast sneered and turned to the hunter, a very weary smirk on his face. Sol stopped and readied for the fight, Fuuenken tight in his hand, he popped the knots in his neck and chuckled.

"What's the matter? Looking for a lavatory?" 

Eddie didn't seem impressed by the jock, "She is not here." He informed, "I can track her easily, but I have to get rid of you first." The beast outstretched his arms, "Are you ready to die, human?" 

"Some other time maybe." Sol grinned, now dashing to the beast with flames sent alongside him as if he had dashed over water, "Tyrant Rave!" he cried, surprising the beast. 

Eddie yelped and jumped, but he was met with the low ceiling, so he dashed into the room with the broken door.

Sol laughed and followed, "What's the matter? Turning yellow?" 

"Charging up, actually." Eddie hissed, now dashing with his wings spread at the hunter. 

Sol brought up Fuuenken, defending. 

"NOW!" a woman's voice cried loud. 

"HA!!!" a broad body leaped over the beast, grabbing the beast's wings, flipping them upwards. 

Eddie screeched with pain and flipped around, now falling on his back. 

Sol widened his eyes as Anji Mito was sent slamming to the wall besides him with a threatening crack. 

"**Gah****-!!**" Anji was knocked out breathless.

     Eddie felt his injured wing, the bone was disconnected, he could push it back in place, but even though he wont be able to fly for a fair few months, he snarled and thought of an attack on the knocked-breathless man, but before he could move a vase slammed his head, it smashed hard, causing blood to trickle lazily between his eyes all the way down to his muzzle. 

"Baka!!!!" a redheaded woman cried, now throwing another vase at the beast. 

Sol eyed the beast snarl and leap at the woman, dodging the vase, "Sh**!" 

Anji caught some breath and dizzily looked up, watching the hunter scoop the redheaded woman out of the black beast's reach, the ebony haired man struggled a bit for balance, finally managing to standup straight, "Sol? Gee. took you long enough." 

Sol tossed the woman over a bed as he twisted around and kicked the beast in the chest, sending him back, "Sh**! Shut up, stupid!" the hunter brought down his sword on the beast's head but the beast dodged it. 

Baiken bounced on the bed a few times before jumping away, Eddie had crashed into it's side and broke the wood, "Badguy! How'd you get here?" she asked, confused and startled of the giant black, lifeless puddle that formed on the floor, "Is it dead?" 

The puddle formed waves on the surface. 

"Watch out!" Anji cried, now leaping at his woman, he pushed her away. 

Baiken toppled back and fell on her soft behind, she felt her head and frowned, "Hey? What's the big i- !!" she gasped, ending her sentience. 

"**_. Gah-!!!"_** Anji's eyes were plain white orbs and his body fell limbless as Eddie's whole arm went through his gut. 

"Anji!" the redhead screamed, her face twisted with horror, "Anji!!!" she screamed again and dashed to her man. 

"Don't!" Sol jumped in her way, grabbing her by the shoulder. 

Eddie laughed, he grabbed the Asian man by the shoulder and pulled out his arm, now he started licking the blood that soaked it whole, "Hrrr. this feels pleasant." He hissed, "This human has a soul stronger than yours, woman, he might make a better vessel than you." He brought down Anji's limb body and stroked the Asian man's neck, feeling the base of his neck for a pulse, "Wonderful! He'll live if we merge now." 

"Over my dead body!" Baiken screamed, pushing away Sol, now she grabbed a stool and sent it square on the beast's head, the crashed upon impact and scattered sending splinters everywhere. 

Sol almost toppled over from her sudden shove, he turned around and managed to cover his face, protecting himself and his sight from the flying splinters.

Eddie howled with pain and jumped away, leaving Anji's body to fall on the floor.

Baiken slid on the floor and touched the man's pale face, "Anji? Anji, can you hear me?" she whispered, a clear crack in her voice, "Anji! Please answer me!" she wept, gnawing on her lower lip she gripped a fistful of his collar and shook him hard, "Wake Up Damn You!!!" she screamed. 

Eddie felt his injuries, now finally clicking his dislocated bone back in place, he walked back into the room and eyed the weeping woman, his ruby red eyes eased, realizing what she was experiencing, "You wish to see him alive?" he suppressed a grin, "Calling an ambulance would only waste time, let me take him here and now and he will live longer." 

The redheaded woman shot her lonely peach glance at the beast, her teeth were gritted tight as tears trickled down her face, "I'd rather die, you freak!" she hissed, now looking at her beloved's face, she stroked his pale cheek. 

Sol stared for a minute, he closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, he frowned and glared up at the black beast, "It looks like the fight is between you and me now." He growled. 

Eddie's face released a grin, "Not that I want to fight a weeping woman anyway." He waved a hand, "Not even fun!"

Sol snarled and leaped at the beast, "Oh Shut your trap!" 

Eddie leaped back and blew a hole through the wall, now flying away.

"Oh no you don't!" Sol growled and jumped after him, he landed on the beast's back and they both fell down like a tossed rock, Eddie fell on his chest while Sol bounced off before impact with the floor.

     Right then, the Assassin's were watching the four fights. Ky and Axl versus I-No and her mobster. Millia and Raphael versus Venom and his comrade. Right out of the sky, Eddie landed with Sol following, making it three double teams. While the three teams fought out to the end, in the room above, Baiken was weeping over her man's body. She tried her best not to be loud, she tried to stop herself, she wanted to stop her tears and compose herself, but the pain and sorrow were too great, too brutal and too sudden, she didn't know how to force it back. 

"Anji. please answer me." he moaned, barely audible from her tears, for the pain was stifling her words and chugged them in her throat.

"Bai. ken. san." Anji's voice whispered, wheezing, his cold hand reached up to feel her lonely hand on his face, "I. I-." 

Startled of his voice, the woman gazed into his dim brown pools with the faintest relived smile, she pressed her finger to his lips, shushing him, "Shh! It's alright! You're alive! Everything will be alright!" she smiled wider. 

Anji smiled wearily, he shook his head, "I. was hit. in a- critical point." 

"Shut up!" she yelled, "I said you'll be alright!" she argued, "We just have to put a few stitches here and there and you'll be just fine!" she smiled despite the deep red, pool of blood that was soaking her and her man's clothes.

Anji's eyes dimmed a little more, "I. I'm sorry, Baiken." he swallowed a knot in his throat, "I can't be here- with you. but," his hand forced itself to her head, stroking her hair, "I. have always loved you. and I just want you to know that. weather you see me or not. I will always be here. with you." 

More tears trickled down her face, "Baka! Don't say that! You'll be fine!" she stroked his face, "Sol is here! I'm sure Chipp will come and find us! You just have to hold on till they get some help!" 

Anji managed a weak laugh, "I like it when you play tough," he grinned, "but you have to learn to let go. you shouldn't love a dead man." 

Baiken eyed him silently as his face eased and his lips parted, he was trying to say something else but his voice was fading, she collected her thoughts and touched his pale, thin lips, more tears trickled down as she leaned down and kissed him. 

Anji's face lightened a bit as his face eased more and his lips curved in the tiniest smile.

"Ai shitaru, Mito-san." She whispered, resting her head on his chest, "I will always remember you." Her voice broke into a weep.

It took a moment. 

Her man was dead. 

But her weeping was lost by the sound of battles outside. 

"Uh OH!!!" Axl yelped, he jumped from the red-clad woman's guitar and ran a few feet, "Chief!!!" he cried urgently. 

Sol landed on his two feet before sending his Gun Flame attack, "What?" he cried in annoyance. 

Eddie received the hit and was sent back slamming into a wall, but he quickly recovered and jumped into the air despite his hurt wing. 

Axl nervously sweat, "I'm getting tingly!!" he cried and dodged the mobster's attack. 

Sol's eyes bugged out, he jumped away and ran to the kid, "Now? Can't you wait till after this is over?" he yelled.

"It's not my choi-eeee_eeee**eeee**_**_!!!!_**" Axl squeaked as the portal opened below him and sucked him in. 

Sol eyes the hole and growled, "Aw sh**!" he glanced at the people busy fighting and cursed again, quickly jumping in before it closed. 

~*~*~*~*~

Are we there yet? 

~*~*~*~*~

     It was a lovely afternoon, it was a restaurant where two men and a woman centered a table where a beautiful cake awaited cutting. In the middle, between the two men, was an embarrassed redheaded woman with bright pink cheeks. The redheaded woman was merely glaring at the cake, her head down and the two men were grinning at her like idiots. 

"C'mon!" silver hair bounced when Chipp laughed, "Blow the candles and make a wish!" he grinned while pointing at the beautifully decorated cake. 

"But it's not even my birthday!" Baiken argued, still blushing hard, "What's the occasion, anyway?" she eyed the other man by her other side.

Ebony hair danced as the Asian, Zessin-welding man chuckled, "We just wanted something to cheer you up, Sis!" Anji grinned, fanning himself, "Now blow out the candles and make a wish!" 

Baiken sighed, "Is this necessary?" she whined, now eyeing the Japanese-wanna be ninja

"If you don't blow out the candles, you might get bad luck!" Chipp instructed, "Besides? What could possibly happen?" 

**_. that was a forbidden question. _**

     Right at that moment, Sol Badguy and Axl Low's portal opened above the trio, so the two time-slip travelers fell right on the cake, spluttering it on the sitting trio. First reaction was Axl's yelp in pain, his landing sent him bouncing off the table while Sol's landing actually broke it. Axl got off the floor and felt the strange sweet matter that was smeared to his face and back; as for Sol, he got off the broken table only to lock eyes with the trio.

Sol's first reaction, a few confused blinks, followed by a frown, the faintest blush on his face, then followed by snarling scowl at the trio, "What The F*** Are You Staring At?" he muttered curses under his breath and stood up, brushing away the cream and icing. 

Baiken's lonely hand reached up to flick the icing from her nose, Anji's reflexes were fast enough to use his fans to protect her from the attacking cake, she barely got stained, she glared the ninja, "You just _had_ to ask, didn't you?" 

Chipp licked the icing from his face and chuckled nervously, "Heh. Gomen." 

Anji's face stained with icing allover that was also on his clothes, bare-chest and hair, "Oy! This was not my idea of a surprise!" he weakly smiled. 

Axl got off the floor and eyed around, he rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled, "Heh, sorry!" 

"Well there goes the cake!" Chipp grumbled, he eyed the British youth, blinked then eyed the Asian dancer, "You know this guy?" 

Anji tried to brush away the cream and icing, but only found himself smearing it over himself more, "Err- yes." he smiled, "Sis, Zanuff, this is a friend of mine, Axl Low." He began, ignoring the hunter behind him, "He and I met a few times before."

Axl eyed the ninja with a smile before grinning at the redhead, "A pleasure!" 

Baiken's gaze said one thing, '_F*** off or I'll kill you!_' she ignored him and started brushing away the icing and cake-remains from her lap and kimono.

Sol brushed away all the cream but he still felt oily because of the cream, he glared up at the redhead, realizing that he and Axl must've gone back to their own world and were not sent to some other place-time. 

'_Forget about that, at least she's showing her boobs here._' He barely grinned.  

Baiken sighed, now looking at the cake, she didn't say anything but slight loss was clear on her face. 

Anji grinned at her and playfully tapped her head with the cream stained fans, "Relax, Sis! Chipp and I can buy you another one!" he comforted. 

The redhead blushed a bit more and shoved him away, "Screw off! I never said I wanted this stupid cake, anyway!" she hissed, her lonely hand swung to the nearest, biggest chunk of cake she could find and slammed it into his face and then stomped away, leaving them behind, "I'm going back to the hotel, you had better not follow me!" she threatened before slamming the door behind her, threatening to break the glass.

Chipp watched her leave before he grinned at the dancer, "Was that in invite?" 

Anji chuckled and smacked him playfully on the head, "She's already upset enough, Shinobi. Leave her be." he shrugged and drew back his fans, he reached up and scorched the cake off his face before picking his messy glasses, he stared at them, "Hmm. I need to get these cleaned, wouldn't want to attracts mosquitoes now, would we?" 

"This feels icky!" Chipp murmured, now he started brushing the cream off himself. 

Axl blinked a few times before turning to the spiky haired hunter, Sol was walking away, so Axl excused himself and followed the hunter out of the restaurant. 

"Hey! Chief! Wait up!" Axl cried, finally catching up to a very enraged Sol Badguy, "Er- on second thought, maybe I should just leave." He stopped and was about to haul ass outta there.

"Wait one goddamn minute, brat!" Sol shot, "Just what the hell happened? One minute we were in a fight, and all of a sudden we're in a restaurant sitting on a cake? What the f*** happened?" 

Axl sighed, "That's why I'm Searching for That Man, Chief!" he argued, "I want to know why I'm stuck with a time-split I can't even control! Why me? why now? I just want to go back home to the twentieth century and  see my girlfriend again!" he sighed, "You actually think I enjoy this time-slip? Hell no! I don't! I hate it, but damn it, I can't do anything about it either!" 

Instead of earning an even angrier Sol Badguy, Axl received a troubled sigh. "Fine." Sol murmured, "Next time you get tingly, you'd better be miles away from me, Got it?" he stabbed his finger in the blonde youth's chest. 

Axl yelped but smothered it with a chuckle, "Eh? Er- sure!" he laughed, now watching the spiky haired hunter walk away.

"Chief?"

"Yeah?" 

"What do you think happened? I mean, do you think everything went fine?" 

"Who knows." the hunter shrugged, "We have to be there to know, right?" 

"I guess, and I wouldn't mind! The cute redhead was nicer at that place, anyway!" the youth chuckled. 

"I prefer her just the way she is now." Sol shrugged, he stuffed his hand in his pocket in search for a cigarette. 

"You like her?" Axl grinned, almost startled of that face, "Gee, I thought you didn't like short, hot tempered women!" he teased, "What? Did her attitude in the other world rub on you or something? Or are you just lonely?"  

There was brief moment of silence. 

Axl paused, "Er- Chief?" 

Sol craned his irritated expression around to where Axl could see it, "Oh you are so dead!" he snarled.

Axl was terrified, "A- I was just goofing!" ye helped and ran off. 

"Come Back Here!!!" Sol howled, running after the boy with the intention of a massacre. 

"Help Me!!!!" 

Ah. such a wonderful friendship. no? 

~* The End? *~

A/N: Gomen Nasai-minna san~! @_@! I was thinking of inserting Ryuu again in this fic, but then thought that people might ditch it thinking that it would focus on my char so I left that to the untold part of the story :3  I was going to insert a tiny Baiken X Venom hint but it kinda rubbed off, my muses said it was too hard to swallow that idea so I ditched it too, then there was this tiny bit that nagged that I add Dizzy to the mix but I just could find a hole to shove her though, so that had to go too, maybe I'll put it in another fic; as for Axl, I like Axl, but not enough to give him a good role in the story, sorry Axl fans, I'd rather bash him really! (insert evil laugh) 

And Malz, is it just me, or are you the only one reading my fics? (do you have an account here? Cuz I don't think I've seen it) I don't feel like anyone else here of ff.net cares about what I write ;_;  And about that Testament X Baiken challenge you asked for, I'm half way though the plot, haven't written anything yet, still twisting it for the right shape so I'll know what to write, I'm working of four other fics for GG (3 Anji X Baiken and 1 Testy X Baiken) and I don't know if I'll ever get interest for ever putting them up. I had seven fics actually, (4 Anji X Baiken, 1 Testy X Baiken, 2 Sol X Baiken) but they all died on me, only three or four were still alive. my fiction-muses need something to refresh themselves for new ideas. help? : | 


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